Un Vanator si Dragostea Lui - A Hunter and his Love
by Lady-Finwe
Summary: What if Carol was the one that went missing and while searching for her they find another woman. A woman left for dead with a bite wound but isn t infected. What if she bonds with Sophia and together they become a family with a certain hunter.
1. Left Behind - Lasat in urma

A/N: This is the work of pure Fiction and the Brilliant work of AMC Walking Dead.

I`d like to thank my BETA stAnd out - SHOUT OUT for her excellent work.

* * *

Chapter One.

Left Behind.

They left her.

She still couldn`t believe that they abandoned her in the woods like an animal, tied to a tree and left to die.

They had left her to die because she was bitten by a lurker and they didn't have the stomach to do anything about it. So they left her to die, tied hopelessly while wounded and bleeding.

"Rotten cowards," she mumbles, half delirious with dehydration as hours pass her by with little acknowledgement. It was difficult to tell the time of day, aside from sun up and sun down. It didn't do her much good from her position, either way.

Licking her dry lips she wriggles her arms in an attempt to relieve the itch that was slowly driving her crazy. However, she was unable to get the right leverage as the wire cut into her arms, causing her to flinch in pain, hoping that it wasn't causing her to bleed more.

"Selfish bastards, just leaving me here. I`ll kill em, I swear I will," she swears aloud, glaring into the blinding light of the sun as it filtered through the canopy of leaves overhead.

She passed in and out of conciseness, her head knocking against the tree without actually registering to her, before she was startled awake by a male voice shouting somewhere nearby.

"Carol!"

The sound made her jump slightly, unable to immediately register that she had heard something. She jerked her head from side to side, trying to find the source of the shouting before fear stills her, her eyes still scanning the trees absently.

"Do I want people knowing I'm here?" she mumbles to herself, her throat sore from the heat and lack of water."Although if I don't, I die here. I really don't want that. Maybe they're good people?...Oh god I`m going insane," she cries out in self-pity, wanting to cry but finding no moisture left in her to do so.

Deciding on risking it, because either they`ll kill her or save her, she shouts. "Hello, can anybody help me!"

Silence

"Fucking hell, did I wait too long?" she swears, her entire body seeming to go lax as that faint glimmer of hope in her chest flickers away.

Until a voice shouts, "Carol." That hope was rekindled into a blaze.

"Help me, please!" she calls back, her voice cracking against the abuse.

Crashing and swearing could be heard as the man stumble through the woods, the sound of snapping sticks and crunching leaves telling her how close he was getting to her particular tree. Within minutes two men stood in front of her in shock; one is a rough looking, dirty, crossbow wielding red-neck. The other was an all American blue-eyed man. Both were gasping for breath.

"Jesus," the second man steps forward with a hand on his gun.

"Watch it, Rick, she`s bit," the red-neck announces, making her frown as Rick stepped back.

"Miss, are you alright?" Rick inquires, his voice soft with concern even though he had yet to remove his hand from over his gun. She found it hard to look away from it, wondering if that would be putting a bullet in her head soon.

Gulping back her fear, since both men were dangerously armed, she chanced to speak. "Please, don`t hurt me," she pleaded roughly. Had her hands been free, she would have raised them in surrender.

Frowning, Rick understands and removes his hand from his gun before nodding to the red-neck to lower his cross-bow as well. "We`re not going to hurt you, I promise we`re looking for a woman, older lady with real short hair named Carol, have you seen her?" he hoped as guilt ate at his stomach.

But she shook her head, "I`m sorry I haven`t seen anyone in days."

Rick sighs in disappointment before he really looks at the poor woman.

She was shorter than Lori and in her late teens or early twenties, Spanish descent if he wasn`t mistaken, with light brown skin and dark brown eyes famed with long dark hair. All in all a beautiful young woman. "How long ago were you bitten?" he asks, thinking that they couldn`t just leave her here.

Swallowing uselessly, trying to moisten her dry mouth, she answered, "At least two-three days, maybe more."

Rick frowns before he reaches out to her hesitantly, pressing the back of his hand against the woman's forehead. She flinches at the contact, but shows no other reaction. His eyes widen at what he doesn't find.

"No fever," he calls back to the other man.

Lowering his crossbow, the second man steps forward to get a better look at her bite. Moving a piece of torn material from her blue dress, he pokes at her wound. The ripple of pain this action brings causes her to hiss through her teeth in pain.

"Fuck sake, do you have to do that?" She swears at him.

Ignoring her, he continues looking at it. "It`s scabbed over so it`s healing, my guess is she`s immune or something?" he steps back, looking as confused as Rick as his brows draw down in a mirroring frown.

Fidgeting against the rough bark, causing it to scrape against her soft skin, she speaks up before they could continue, "I don`t mean to be rude, but can one of you please untie me?" she pleads, her tone coming through more curt than she intended. They were standing there talking and she was still tied to a tree.

The redneck steps forward with his hunting knife and cuts the wire that held her to the tree, having to put a bit more force in order to cut through the thin metal. Slumping down as her legs failed her she lowers her head in exhaustion with a sigh of relief passing her chapped lips.

Rick give her a moment before calmly asking, "What happened to you?" as he offers her a bottle of water, which she drinks greedily and clumsily against her thirst. Putting the lid back on the water once she had drank her fill, she absentmindedly rubs her sore arms that were cut from the harsh wire.

"Everything was going well; I was with this group for over a month. They range from three years old to seventy years old. We were never in the same place, always moving—until one night we were camping just outside this little town when this herd of thirty biters came through. I woke up to people screaming. After that things get blurry…I remember being bitten and killing it and just running into the woods. My friend George noticed the blood and just went crazy." Tahlee pauses as painful memories nearly overwhelm her, her face contorting with her thoughts. "He went to shoot me, but Luka, his little sister, stops him and she suggests tying me up, then that bitch hits me in the head and they leave me here." As she finishes she hides her face in her knees as the pain of her friends' abandonment hits her again. Finally saying it aloud seems to solidify the truth of it, making her heart ache more.

"Jesus Christ." Rick turns away in disgust.

Daryl looks down at the exhausted woman with new respect shining in his eyes. "Ya got a name?"

Startled, she jumps. Lifting her head to look at the shaggier of the man, she nods. "Tahlee, it`s Tahlee."

Grunting, he replies gruffly, "Daryl, and that`s Rick."

Resting her head against the tree, she can't help but to ask, "Who's Carol?"

Daryl frowns as though being reminded of why they were out there. "Just a woman, her kid got spooked by walkers and ran off, Carol followed. We found Sophia a few hours ago but no sign of her mum. You definitely haven`t seen her?"

Shaking her head, Tahlee offers a sorrowful look. "I`m sorry."

"Worth a shot," he grumbles back, looking away from her to put his attention on Rick instead.

"Alright, this is how were gonna play this; we`re going to hide your bite. Daryl could you lend her your vest, please? Then we are going to look for Carol for another hour or so before we lose the light."

Scowling, Daryl rests his crossbow against the same tree as Tahlee as he strips off his angel-winged vest and hands it over to her rather reluctantly. She takes the leather carefully, realizing that this vest held some importance to the man.

"Look after it," he orders as she slips the leather up her arms, getting a timid nod as answer. Shouldering his weapon upon her nod, he trudges into the woods without waiting for the other two. Rick helped her up from the ground before they followed after the redneck at a slower pace.

They hiked for over an hour and Tahlee struggles as keep up as her body slows from the lack of food and proper rest. She had been running on adrenaline from being saved when they first started, but she had nothing left as darkness threatened to overcome them.

Daryl stopped and he raises his hand back to them, leaving them to pause just behind him as they listen. A shuffling moan sounded before a biter stumbled from behind a large tree. He raises his crossbow and fires, striking the walker (better than calling them biters) right in the eye.

"Bulls-eye," Tahlee comments as Daryl grunts.

Tahlee decides to linger back as both men approach the fallen walker.

"What are you doing?" she asks, recoiling as they knelt down beside the thing. She wasn't sure how this group managed things, but the people she travelled with tended to leave the dead to lie.

Rick answers "It has fresh blood under its nails."

"Oh, God," Tahlee mumbles as Daryl snatching his hunting knife from his belt while Rick pulls on some gloves and braces himself as he goes to gut the walker.

Covering her mouth, Daryl sees this chuckles; "Maybe you should step back, Princess."

Glaring at him, she steals herself. Almost immediately regretting it as Daryl forces its mouth open with his gloved hands, looking inside the walker's mouth. Shivering in disgust, she forces herself not to look away.

"There`s flesh in its teeth."

Rick asks, "What kind?"

"Only one way to find out," Daryl mutters, picking his knife back up.

Rick grimaces, but doesn't back down. Flipping open his own knife, he offers to Daryl, "Here, I`ll do it."

Scoffing, Daryl shakes his head. "Now many kills have you skinned and gutted in your life? Beside, mine`s bigger."

Tahlee rolls her eyes at his obvious' mine`s bigger than yours' remark, but wisely remains silent.

Daryl starts his step by step commentary as he cuts into the stomach of the walker, black blood oozing out of the open wound even without a heartbeat to fuel the movement.

"Now here comes the bad part," he adds on as his hands sink into the gaping wound, searching out one organ in particular. "Oh yeah, hoss here had a big meal not long ago, I can feel it."

Tahlee wanted to groan along in disgust as Daryl hefted the stomach out from the walker, pulling along some of the intestines as well. If Tahlee wasn't already pale from lack of nutrition, she sure as hell was now.

"Here`s the gut bag."

Rick offers, "I got this."

Out of the pile of brown slime falls a small skull. "This gross bastard had himself a woodchuck for lunch." Daryl lifts the skull up this his knife to show Tahlee.

Rick sighs as he leans away from the corpse, "At least we know."

"At least we know."

Tahlee abruptly turns to the side and vomits, causing Daryl to snort a laugh.

* * *

WALKING-DEAD

* * *

"Dammit…alright, let`s head back." Rick says in defeat an hour later.

"We can pick it up again at dawn," Daryl encourages as they begin their trek back to their group. Rick glances back at their new companion, bringing up the rear of their small parade. "I`m sure my wife Lori could spare some clothes for you to change into."

Tahlee looks down at her ruined light blue summer dress underneath Daryl`s vest, knowing the horrible blood stained appearance.

"Thank you, although I`m sure I could find some in the abandon cars." Tahlee knew that clothes like everything else were hard to come by these days, she would feel bad taking clothes that someone else already had for themselves.

"If we're still planning on hiding my bite I`ll need to clean up before anyone else sees me," she comments as she gestures at the dried blood on her arms.

"There`s a creek just up ahead," Daryl offers up.

Twenty minutes later they arrived at the small creek and immediately Tahlee walks straight in, shoes and all, falling to her knees she carefully take off Daryl`s vest and laying it on a dry rock before she leans down cupping some water and having a drink as she fills her empty stomach, before she starts scrubbing at her sore, bloody arms. The water around her ran pink as she washed, but she wasn't concerned after having had her drink.

Wishing she had a cloth to clean the delicate skin around her wound, Tahlee doesn't even need to voice her opinion before Daryl's stepped to the edge of the creek and offers her a red cloth, "Here."

Immediately, she smiles up at him. "Thank you."

Within minutes all of the dried blood was washed off and she felt like a new woman, even with some newly soaked clothes.

"Ready?" Rick smiles. He was right, Tahlee was a very beautiful woman.

Smiling "Yup let`s go"

* * *

WALKING-DEAD

* * *

Emerging from the woods, Rick heads up to the group of survivors as Tahlee hesitates while Daryl is helping her over the guardrail.

"Thanks," she mumbles absently.

A distraught young voice carries over from where Rick is meeting with a cluster of people, "You didn`t find her?"

"That`s Sophia," Daryl informs her quietly.

Rick replies tiredly, the stress evident in his tone, "Her trail went cold."

"I`ll pick it up again in the morning," Daryl adds as Tahlee hides behind him, suddenly very unsure about meeting this new group of people. After all, she doesn't have the best experience with travelling with people.

"You can`t leave Mommy out there, we`ve never gone camping before, she`ll get cold," Sophia cried as a tall brunette woman wraps her arms around her, trying to bring some comfort to the child.

Crouching down in front of the young girl, Rick explained, "Can`t see nothing in the dark." Rick refuses to risk more people`s safety, even if he can't explain that to the daughter of the woman they had lost.

"We`d be tripping over ourselves, more people getting lost," Daryl adds. His voice was surprisingly soft, not wanting to seem harsh to the already spooked child.

A dark haired man suddenly growls out, "Who is she?"

Rick steps in front of Tahlee protectively before addressing the group that was already gathered around, "Everyone this is Tahlee, we found her and she`s gonna join us."

"Nah, man. We can`t be taking in strays," the same man argues.

"She`s alone, Shane. I`m not sending her off by herself without supplies, that`s not right," Rick defends her.

Tahlee steps around her two guardians, building up her courage. She was going to have to learn to stand on her own two feet. "Hi, everyone. Listen, I get it; strangers aren`t a good thing now-a-days, using up your food and all. I understand. I just need to rest up and I would appreciate it if I could stay until Carol is found, after all she is the only reason why I`m still alive and I`d like to thank her."

Truthfully she wasn`t all that keen on joining a new group after what happened last time but she also knew that she needed help.

"Tahlee, no one is asking for you to leave," Rick reinforces as a deep protective feeling overwhelms him.

"Did you see my mommy?" The tearful girl asks, setting those painfully innocent and scared eyes on Tahlee.

Tahlee hesitantly steps forward. "No, sweetie, I didn`t but I survived and I was lost for three days and I don`t know anything about the woods, so I sure your mommy is fine," she tried to reassure her, giving her the most encouraging smile that she could muster in her own nervousness.

"We followed her for a while," Daryl added.

Rick interrupts fluidly, "We have to make this an organized search and Daryl knows these woods better than anyone and I`ve asked him to oversee this."

A whimper escapes Sophia, "Is that blood?"

Daryl answers after a beat of silence, "We took down a walker."

"A walker?" she cried out while wrapping her small arms around a startled Tahlee, who stood closest to her at the time.

"Sophia, honey, we know that the walker was no-where near your mom," Rick assures her.

A blonde women steps forward, snapping at them in question, "How can you know that?"

"Cause I gutted the son of a bitch, that`s how," Daryl bluntly answer her before he turns to walk away. Releasing the poor girl into the arms of the brunette, Tahlee rushes to follow after him.

"Daryl, wait up," she breathes, about to reach for him. Instead, he ends up slamming her against a car door, causing her to gasp in shock and fear.

"You really leaving?" he demands, keeping his voice low while staring her dead in the eye. Even in the fading daylight, she could make out the clear blue of his eyes.

Fear slowly creeps through her veins as her breathing becomes short. "I can`t be left behind again, Daryl, I can`t care about people only for them to leave me." Her voice trembles through her words.

Understanding hits him then, causing his hold to lessen on her. "We don`t leave people behind," he states before releasing her completely.

"You promise?"

"I promise, now come on let`s find you some clothes and some food before you blow away," Daryl promises her.

He also makes another to himself; 'I won`t leave you.'

* * *

WALKING-DEAD

* * *

Two hours later and Daryl has full filled one of his promises almost straight away, as together they ransack cars looking for food, clothes and other supplies.

Grabbing a discarded black shoulder bag, Tahlee stuffs it with a few clean shirts, a skirt, pair of denim jeans and underwear as she left out a simple purple tank-top and short cut denim shorts she immediately changes into, ignoring Daryl piercing gaze.

Looking up at him, Tahlee asks timidly, "Can I keep wearing this a little longer, please." She indicates to his vest, thumbing the worn leather.

A grunt was his reply.

Tahlee was quickly growing accustom to his way of speaking as she continued looking through abandoned cars, squinting her eyes against the fading light.

Finding more treasures as night fell, the group soon settled around a non-existent fire pit as they ate from a verity of canned food, such as veggies and beans.

Clearing his throat, Rick stood. "Alright, tonight we are going to have a two man watch starting with Shane and Glenn followed by Andrea and myself with Daryl and Tahlee finishing up at dawn."

Shane immediately got to his feet, opposing Rick's decision. "I`m not sure it`s wise having the new girl on watch, it`s dangerous."

"It`s settled, Shane, just leave it." Rick was getting tired of Shane fighting him on every little thing and it was starting to show through in his short tone and darkened expressions.

"Alright everyone, let`s get some sleep. We have a big day ahead of us." Rick instructs everyone as he gathers his family towards Carol`s Cherokee.

"Tahlee, will you still be here in the morning?" Sophia asked quietly.

Tahlee stood and walked over to her as she gathered her up in her arms. "I will be here until I am sent away, Sophia. I promise you, I won't leave until my arms are replaced with your mommy`s. Now, sweetie, you need your sleep, so go with Andrea and have sweet dreams," Tahlee instructed.

Sophia pleaded with Tahlee, reluctant to leave her so soon. "Can`t I sleep with you?"

But the dark haired woman shook her head. "No, sweetie, it`s safer in the RV."

"Okay, night night." Sophia hugged her before running to the RV as Andrea held the door open for her.

Tahlee looked around before she realizes she`s forgotten to plan a sleeping spot as everyone heads towards their beds.

"You coming, Princess?" Daryl`s voice startles her.

She's surprised but shrugs as she follows him to a Ute that had two sleeping bags laid out of the tray. Grasping his hand he pulls her up easily before he pulls up the tail-gate and rest his crossbow against it.

Laying down carefully on her uninjured side, meaning she was watching him as he too lays down with his hands folded under his head.

"Daryl I just want to thank you for helping me today and now," she murmurs as exhaustion hits her.

He grunts as he watches her eyes close from the corner of his eye and her face relaxes as she settles into a light sleep. "G`night Daryl," she sighs softly into sleep.

Minutes pass before he answers, "'Night, Princess."

* * *

WALKING-DEAD

* * *

The next morning, Shane calls out to the group. "Alright, everyone, make sure you have a weapon."

Ignoring Andrea as she throws a fit over carrying a gun, Tahlee selects a small steel hatchet before moving away to do a practice swing.

"Easy," Daryl growls as he approaches her from behind, flinching backward to avoid her swing.

Tahlee turns around sharply in surprise. "Oh god, I`m so sorry," she apologizes.

Grunting, he steps up behind her and grips her right arm adjusting her grip on the hatchet. "Hold it like this." He swings their arms together, demonstrating the best technique. "Remember, always aim for their heads or neck to decapitate," he instructs verbally while instructing her physically as well.

"Thank you," Tahlee smiles at him as she watches him walk towards Rick.

She listens in as Daryl explains his plan. "The idea is to take the creek five miles up then turn around and follow down the other side."

"Why just the creek? Shouldn`t we check everywhere?" Sophia asks, beginning to look panicked all over again.

"Most likely she`ll stay by the creek as it`s her only land mark. Stay quiet and stay alert," Daryl answers her.

"Let`s go," Rick directs to the rest of the group, motioning with his head over to the guardrail they had hopped over the night before.

* * *

WALKING-DEAD

* * *

Hours pass as they follow Daryl as he navigates expertly through the forest; Tahlee almost considers slapping herself when she realized that she was staring at Daryl`s ass for most of it. A cough brings her out her stare as Glenn looks at her funny as does Sophia, who she held hands with. She smiles at them nervously, hoping they won't out her for her embarrassing behavior.

"What`d you do before this?" he asks, as he finally has someone his age to bond with.

Still blushing from being caught, Tahlee answers easily, "Odd jobs really, waitressing, receptionist, florist, baby-sitting - you name it, I`ve done it. I bounced around a lot after high school. You?"

"Pizza delivery."

Surprised, she asks, "In Atlanta?"

Glenn nods. "Yeah, in the city. Where're you from-ah" he trips over a tree root.

Grabbing his arm quickly, Tahlee stopped him from hurting himself while remaining on her own feet in the process.

"You alright?"

"Yeah, thanks, Tahlee," he blushed sheepishly, straightening his posture while rubbing at the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Quiet," Daryl growls at them.

Smiling at Daryl in apology she releases Glenn. "Man you think Daryl`s bad now you should have seen his brother, Merle—strike that, I pray you never meet him as he is one of the most racist bastards I`ve ever met," Glenn informed her as well as indicating her Spanish heritage.

However, Tahlee shook her head in denial. "Daryl`s done alright by me, doesn`t matter what he was like before," she defends. Not noticing that Daryl was eavesdropping she continues speaking, "I like who he is, he most likely the only person here who has changed for the better."

"Hold up," Shane called out, keeping his voice low and holding out an open hand as a signal to stop for those who hadn't heard clearly.

The group stopped as Shane points out a yellow tent off to the left of them.

"Carol could be in there," Shane whispers.

Daryl scowls in contemplation. "Hell, anything could be."

Drawing his knife, Daryl slowly unzips the tent door and enters. Quickly holding his breath at the rank smell of a decomposing man lying slumped in a camping chair, he takes a quickly scan of the tent while the others remain outside. Right off the bat he knew that Carol wasn't inside.

"Mommy, are you in there?" Sophia calls out hopefully.

Daryl exits the tent and takes a deep inhale of fresh air. "Ain`t her," Daryl mutters. "Just a guy; how did Jenner put it, oh yeah opted out." He sneers at the guy`s cowardice.

Sighing Rick nods in acknowledgement before addressing everyone else. "Alright, let`s keep going."

Before they can even leave the campsite, the faint ringing of a church bell echoes through the trees, ding, dong, ding, dong.

They freeze in unison.

"Jesus, which way?" someone asks.

"I think it was this way." Shane points towards the west.

"Damn, it`s hard to tell out here." Daryl adds, turning in different directions in an attempt to get a different perspective.

"Someone must be ringing them right?" Tahlee asks aloud.

Glancing at her, Rick nods. "It could be anyone."

"Maybe it`s Mom?" Sophia adds.

Rick instantly takes off at a sprint as the rest of the group follows him, trying to keep pace.

Within minutes they enter a grave-yard as they continue running around tomb-stones as Shane calls out, "Rick, this is the wrong place. No steeple, no bells!"

Tahlee gasps in agony as her right foot clips a hidden stone forcing her to the ground.

"Tahlee," Andrea cries out as she stops to help her.

Tears prickle her eyes as the pain spreads throughout her foot. She couldn't utter a word at first, trying to choke back a scream—the last thing she wanted was to bring walkers down on them from too much noise. "Oh, fuck me," she hisses out through the pain.

"Tahlee, where are you hurting—oh, Jesus." Andrea trails off as she takes in Tahlee`s foot. Blood covers her once dirty white converse sneaker and it continues to soak the ground underneath. "Shit," Andrea swears as she carefully takes Tahlee sore foot onto her lap and unties her shoe also removing her bloody sock.

Simultaneously they gasp at the damage done to her big toe. A small piece of bone was sticking out from the side and the exposed skin bruising immediately.

Tahlee paled as she looked down at her own foot. "I`m gonna be sick." Turning away from Andrea quickly, she vomits up the small breakfast she had had that morning.

Inside the church, looking around, Glenn immediately notices that two people are missing, "Where`s Tahlee and Andrea?"

Daryl swears, "Fucking hell." He storms outside with Rick and Glenn close behind him.

"Over here, Rick." Andrea calls out, as she passes Tahlee an open bottle of water.

Kneeling down in front of the injured woman, Daryl ignores everyone as the rest of the group gasp over that state of her foot, looking Tahlee straight in the eye, "You okay?"

He was over powered by Glenn, "What are we going to do?" Glenn asked, "I mean how do we fix a broken toe like that?" he adds after catching Daryl`s death glare.

The pain erupted through Tahlee's limb like fire, constantly spreading from her toe right up through her hip with each beat of her heart. She`d never broken anything before and she was so scared to have done so than at this moment, in an apocalypse.

Whimpering, Tahlee whimpers, "Am I going to lose my foot?"

"No, well maybe just the toe!" It took several seconds before Tahlee realizes Daryl was joking.

She smacks him on the chest. "That wasn`t funny."

Smiling at the tension that was dissipating, Rick announces, "We`ll need someone to carry her back to the RV. Shane and I are going to stay around here for another hour or so, just in case."

Standing as Glenn moves over to help wrap her bloody foot in his spare shirt, Daryl heads over to Rick. "You`re splitting us up. You sure?"

"Yeah, just follow the river back, we`ll catch up. Daryl, you`re in charge," Rick informs them, giving the redneck a pointed look that he just shrugs off, having already figured that. It wasn't as though anyone else knew where they were going.

Carl runs over to his father. "Dad, I wanna stay, too," he desperately asks. "Sophia is my friend and I wont to find her Mom."

Rick glancing at his wife, "Oh no, don`t look at me, I can`t always be the bad guy," Lori stepped back and hugged her son, "When did you grow up?"

Smiling up at his mom, Carl used his puppy dog eyes.

"Alright, he can come," Rick bends before he offers his wife his colt, "Here take this."

Shaking her head, "I`m not taking your gun and leaving you unarmed," Lori refused.

Daryl steps forward. "Here, got a spare. Take it," He urges and hands Lori a 9mm hand-gun, drawn from the back belt of his cargos.

"Alright, people, let`s go." Daryl adjusts his crossbow over his shoulder and swoops Tahlee up from the ground, carrying her bridal style, as they began their long trek down downstream.

After a while Andrea speaks up, "So this is it? This the whole plan?"

Adjusting his grip on Tahlee, Daryl calls over his shoulder to answer, "I guess the plan is to whittle us down into smaller and smaller groups."

Resting her face into Daryl`s neck as she drifts off to sleep, Tahlee decides to ignore the disputes of the group in favor to pushing aside the pain in her foot.

Elsewhere in the woods, a gunshot echoes like a scream through the trees.

Rick screams, "No, no, no Carl, no, wake up, Carl, please!"

* * *

End Chapter One… I hope you enjoyed this new story and if so please REVIEW :)


	2. Making Friends - Efectuarea Prieteni

**A/N: The Walking Dead is owned by AMC, I am simply borrowing there great work and adding a spin.**

**I`d like to thank my BETA - stAnd out-SHOUT OUT.**

* * *

Chapter Two.

Making Friends.

The gunshot had all their nerves on edge as Daryl led them through the woods, heading back in the direction of the highway.

"You still worried about it?" he asks a distraught Lori, while he carefully looks down at a sleeping Tahlee. His voice was low, careful not to aggravate the sleeping woman. He'd broken bones before and he knew the agony that she must have been experiencing. It was best to let her sleep.

"It was a gunshot," Lori snaps harshly before flinching at her own tone. "I`m sorry," she apologizes a moment later.

Tahlee unconsciously presses herself closer to Daryl, bringing her arm up to wrap around his neck as she continues sleeping. He tenses slightly at the physical contact before he replies, "We all heard it."

"Why just one shot?" Lori wonders, voicing her concern to the rest of the group.

Andrea answered before Daryl could, "Maybe they took down a walker?"

"Please, don`t patronize me. You know Rick wouldn`t risk a gunshot to put down one walker, or Shane. They'd do it quietly," the mother argues. Everyone could see that she really was concerned over the entire thing, fidgeting with her bag and looking around more alert than before.

Andrea glanced into the surrounding trees behind them, as though she expected to see Rick and Shane come through the brush at any moment. "Shouldn`t they have caught up by now?"

Daryl cast a quick glance back at her. "There`s nothing we can do about it, anyway. Can`t be running around chasing echoes."

The voices had slowly penetrated Tahlee's subconscious, waking up the aching woman. She had heard the tail-end of the conversation and realized that they had reached a roadblock. "What do we do?"

"Same as we`ve been doing, beat the bush for Carol, working our way back to the highway." Daryl says as he checks their surroundings for walkers, not even stopping as he pivots his body, Tahlee moving with the motion.

Glenn tries to reassure the women, "I`m sure they`ll hook back up with us at the RV."

Tahlee asks quietly, "How long have you all been together?" Her face was beginning to go pale from blood loss and shock, but it was a relief to know that she was awake and lucid.

"Since this shit started, we met at an abandoned Quarry just outside of Atlanta - lost some people so we moved to the CDC - then that shit-hole blew up and now here we are camping on the fuckin` highway just waitin` to be picked off," Daryl growls.

They could barely overhear the end of Andrea`s conversation, " - for what it`s worth."

"I`ll tell you want it`s worth - not a damn thing. It`s a waste of time, all that hopin` and prayin`, We`re gonna find this girl`s mother and she`s gonna be just fine. Am I the only one Zen around here? Good Lord," Daryl ranted causing them to smile.

After several minutes of silence, Tahlee brushed her fingers across his cheek, "That was a good thing you just did, Daryl. You gave Sophia hope, although I wouldn`t call that being Zen; more like..." she trailed off.

"Like what?" He asked looking down at her.

She smiled sheepishly. "I dunno yet, I think I need to get to know you better before I answer," she replied with a faint blush staining her cheeks..

Daryl, realizing that he was blushing, cleared his throat, "We`re losing the light, we should head back, we`ll pick it up again tomorrow."

"Yo, man wait a minute, we need to change Tahlee bandage, it`s dripping," Glenn calls out, motioning down to where his shirt, once semi-clean, was now saturated with red.

Daryl carefully places her down on a fallen tree as Andrea kneels down and unwraps the bloody clothing article, Tahlee wincing heavily as she did so. It was not only uncomfortable, but altogether painful.

"Jesus, it`s still bleeding!" she mutters in awe and concern.

Just noticing how pale Tahlee has gotten, Lori rushes over and slaps her across the face startling her awake, getting startled flinches and gasps from everyone. Seeing Lori, the mother-hen of the group, up and slap an injured woman was not what they had been expecting.

Daryl growls protectively, "What the fuck, woman."

"Listen, she is losing too much blood, soon she`ll pass out and slip into a coma. That`s what happened to Rick, she needs to stay awake," Lori explains quickly. Finally hearing her logic made it easier to understand why she had slapped her, but it was still very sudden and surprising. Lori brushes her hand across Tahlee redden cheek, "Honey, listen we need to know your blood type? Can you remember that for me?"

She struggles to remain alert as sleep creeps up on her. "Huh, umm, A-Positive I think."

"Good. So is Carl and Rick." Lori muttered.

Glenn stood having finished wrapping the bloody foot in his ripped shirt. "We should hurry."

* * *

WALKINGDEAD

* * *

"How much further?" Sophia whined two hours later as her legs ached.

Sweat was dripping down Daryl`s face. "Maybe a hundred yards, as the crow flies," he grunted out. As light as Tahlee was, it was getting tiring to carry her not only through the forest, but through the heat of a Georgian summer as well.

"Too bad we`re not crows," Andrea snaps in annoyance, stumbling over the roots that were everywhere in their path. There was silence for only a moment before Andrea's scream punctuated the forest, drawing everyone to an abrupt stop.

Groggily, Tahlee begs from Daryl's arms. "Quick, put me down!"

"Sophia, stay with her," Daryl ordered as he placed her down carefully before running towards Andrea`s screams for help.

A snarling walker had pinned Andrea down, her knife out of reach as she fumbled desperately through the leaves. "No!"

Before anyone had a chance to act, the thundering trot of a horse disrupted Andrea's screams as a woman's riding a chestnut mare galloped passed Andrea and the walker, swinging a baseball bat to the walker's head with a sickening crack.

"Lori?" the woman asked, looking down at Andrea's petrified face. "Whoa, girl, easy" the mysterious woman settles her horse, slipping the now bloody bat into a side slip on the horse. "Lori Grimes?"

Lori raises her hand, stepping forward. "I`m Lori."

"Rick sent me - You`re got to come with me now," she demands.

"What?"

The mysterious woman was getting impatient. "There`s been an accident - Carl`s been shot. He`s still alive but you`re got to come now. Rick needs you - Just come." She offers Lori a hand up. Coming out of her shock, she throws Andrea her bag and Daryl`s spare gun, before climbing onto the horse.

Daryl exclaimed, "Whoa, we don`t know this girl. You can`t get on that horse!"

Fed up with all the talking, "Rick said you had other`s on the highway, by the big traffic snarl! If you back-track to Fair-burn Road, two miles down is our farm. You`ll see the mail box the names Greene. Hee-yah!" And the two women take off leaving the rest of the group in their wake.

The downed walker groaned. Daryl, fed up over how shitty the day has gone, raises his crossbow and shoots it in the head, "Shut up."

* * *

WALKING-DEAD

* * *

The pain was unbearable by the time Daryl sat her down gently on the bonnet of an abandon car. Hanging her head as she begins to feel faint again she doesn`t see Daryl leave or coming back. "Here, Princess," he held out two little white pills in his hand.

She grimaces a thank-you before she swallows them dry, coughing but gratefully accepting a bottle of water and chugging down half of it.

Dale spoke worriedly from the RV, "Andrea, are you okay?"

Except Andrea glares at the poor man as she stalks pass him to the RV and slamming the door behind her.

"What are we going to do? We can`t stay here exposed like this," Glenn asked as he fiddled with his cap.

Sighing, Dale was the one to answer first, "We need to regroup."

A terrified cry escaped Sophia, "We can`t just leave, what about Mommy?"

"I`m sorry sweetie, but we need to regroup," Dale pattered the young girls shoulder in sympathy. Now he knew how Rick felt, having to make the decisions that would be best for the group.

"What if she comes back and we`re not here?" Sophia tears up.

Tahlee`s heart broke at the distraught girl, wishing she could take that beautiful young girl into a hug to help comfort her.

"If Carol does come back and we`re not here, that would be awful," Andrea joined in. They all knew the truth to it, but to know that Carl had been shot and they were missing a large number of their group set them on edge.

"So what, we just stay here? What about Carl? We need to go and join them." Glenn wasn`t comfortable with staying here out in the open, and neither was Tahlee.

"No, we need a plan. What if we stay here tonight, and in the morning we pull-up stakes. That gives us plenty of time to rig-up a big-ass sign and leave her some supplies. I`ll hold here tonight with the RV," Daryl instructed.

Dale refused, "If the RV is staying, then so am I."

Crying, Sophia unexpectedly hugged Daryl, leaving him to pat her back awkwardly. His experience with children was slim to none, especially one who had lost her mother.

"However, we have two very injured members who need medical attention; T-Dog`s arm is severely infected and from Glenn`s description that foot also needs a doctor. I think that Glenn should take them both to this farm and pray they have antibiotics, otherwise we`ll lose them both." Dale pleaded.

Growling Daryl stormed over to his motorbike throwing an oily rag on the ground, "Why didn`t you say something earlier Old Man, got my brother`s stash. Got some crystal, X - don`t need that, got some serious kick-ass painkillers, Doxycycline and not the generic stuff neither, it`s first class." He threw the little orange bottle at Dale, before adding, "Merle got the clap on occasion." Causing Tahlee to choke of a mouthful of water, Daryl smirked as he patted her on the back.

"Jesus, Daryl, are you trying to kill me?" Tahlee coughs.

"Nah, Princess gotta get my amusement somewhere." Daryl smirks.

However, Sophia did not understand and asks, "What`s the clap?"

Which made everyone laugh and Tahlee struggles to answer.

Glenn is stunned at the display of flirting the usual grim red-neck is showing Tahlee' at least he was until Dale smacks him over the head; "What man?"

Frowning, Dale says, "Help me with T-Dog, so we can get him into the Cherokee."

* * *

WALKINGDEAD

* * *

The drive up to the farm was quiet as T-Dog slept in the back while Glenn drove. He nervously tapped his fingers against the steering wheel to a beat only he could hear. Tahlee touches his knee, "They`ll be fine, Glenn," she tries to assure.

"Nah, Tahlee, it`s not. Everything`s gone to shit in the last few days. Losing Merle (even though he was a racist jerk), having the quarry over-run, losing Amy - Jim - Jacqui and now with Carol missing. I don`t know how much more we can stand to lose." Glenn laid everything out on the table.

Sorrow squeezed her heart. "Carl will be fine, Daryl will find Carol and we will survive. I know I haven`t been with you guy`s long but I believe we - humanity - can survive this and continue on." She tried to comfort this troubled young man as best she could, even with her own fears.

"I hope you stick around, I mean I know you told them that you`ll leave after we find Carol but I think you`ll be good for the group, a positive influence." He blushed at his honestly, but it made Tahlee smile.

"I need to think about it Glenn, joining another group is a big decision and it`s not completely up to me either."

He nodded in understanding, "I think we`re here," as he stopped at a closed gate.

A sign read "Greene Family Farm", lit up by the headlights from the car.

"I guess so," she mumbled before offering, "I`ll get the gate."

Glenn grabbed her hand, "No I`ll get it, you need to rest your foot." Putting the car in park, he got out to open the gate. The metal had rusted over time and it shrieked as he opened it, and once more as he closed it behind them.

After a mile long driveway, they finally spotted the lit up farmhouse.

Tahlee struggled as she got out of the car as Glenn struggled with T-Dog. She limped up to the front porch as Glenn stood in front of the door. "Do we ring the bell? I mean someone is obviously home." He gestures to the lit windows.

Tahlee immediately notices the young woman sitting off in the dark, "We`re past this kinda thing, aren`t we?" T-Dog mumbles.

Smiling Tahlee winks to the mysterious woman, "We should be polite and knock right fella`s."

"Did you close the gate as you came through?" She made both men jump in surprise as Tahlee laughed.

Glenn was grateful that it was dark as he blushed, "Uh, hi. Yeah we closed it - did the latch and everything." He mimicked the motion with his hands.

Tahlee jumps in, "Hello, we haven`t officially met - I`m Tahlee, this here is Glenn and T-Dog." She pointed to the African American man.

"Maggie Greene," she introduced herself before quickly stepping back, her eyes lingering on the makeshift bandage.

"It`s not a bite, Miss - I cut myself on a jagged piece of metal," T-Dog explained, understanding her concern. After what happened with Jim, it was easy to fear unknown injuries.

Glenn added, "Yeah, Tahlee needs help too with her broken toe, it`s pretty disgusting."

Tahlee cried out, "Hey," as she smacked him over the head. Admittedly, it was disgusting but she didn't need to hear him tell that to someone they didn't know.

Maggie smiled. "We`ll be able to help you once my father is finished with the boy. I`ll tell them you`re here, we don`t have much as we`re still waiting for Shane and Otis to come back from the FEMA shelter."

"We do have some antibiotic`s and painkillers." Glenn offered as the door opened to let Rick step out.

"Hey, Is Carl okay?" Tahlee immediately asked as children are her weakness, something she`s always wanted.

Rick shook his head. His pallor was paler than hers and she'd been steadily bleeding all day. "We're just waiting on Shane. Carl woke up briefly but he`s asleep now." He sounded exhausted, but he still asked about the group.

"Daryl and Dale had everything under-control when we left, they`ll be here first thing in the morning," Tahlee informed him.

"And Sophia?"

Frowning, "She wanted to stay just in case, Andrea is staying with her." Tahlee informed him.

Rick nodded. "Come on in, I`ll get Hershel to have a look at your foot," he gestured for T-Dog to enter first as Rick wrapped his arm around Tahlee's waist and helped her in as Glenn held the door open.

"Rick, man, whatever you need just let me know," Glenn offered.

"Thank you."

* * *

WALKING-DEAD

* * *

Tahlee watched as Patricia stitched up T-Dog`s arm, she grimaced as the needle went in and out of his skin. 'Oh God,' she mumbles as she covered her mouth 'please don`t throw up' she prayed as a young blonde girl placed a sandwich and a glass of juice in front of her.

"Are you alright?" Beth asked politely.

Tahlee dragged her eyes away. "Not a fan of needles."

"Daddy says he`ll be out to check on your foot as soon as Carl is stable," She tried to distract the pale Spanish woman. For someone with dark skin, she was whiter than Beth at this point.

Tahlee smiled at the pretty young girl before she dug into her sandwich as her stomach rolled in pain and nerves.

-Back into the Woods-

He listened as Andrea stomped through the wood causing him to wince. That woman would not know subtly if it kicked her in the face.

"You really think we`re gonna find Carol?" Andrea asked, tripping over a root in the process.

'Fucking hell,' Daryl swears to himself, "What the hell`s wrong with you people? We just started looking."

'This is why I like being by myself,' he thinks to himself.

Raising an eyebrow, Andrea continued to prod, "Well do you?" Causing Daryl to growl his irritation.

"It ain`t the mountains of Tibet; it`s Georgia. She could be holed up in a farmhouse somewhere. People get lost all the time and they survive."

"She`s a scared woman with no knowledge of how to survive." Andrea commented.

Spotting an odd color amongst the trees Daryl changed directions. "Hell, I got lost when I was a kid. Nine days in the woods eating berries, wiping my ass with poison oak," he informed her, barely even registering the conversation as he focused on the rest of their surroundings.

Andrea frowned, "They found you?"

He raised his crossbow. "My old man was off on a bender with some waitress, Merle was doing another stint in Juvie, didn`t even know I was missing, made my own way back, went straight into the kitchen and made myself a sandwich. No worse for wear - except my ass itched something awful."

Laughter escaped her as Andrea laughed for the first time since Amy died.

"I`m so sorry," she tries to apologize through her giggles.

"I`m sorry, that was a terrible story," she apologizes, but Daryl waves her off just being glad to see her happy for once. The whole moping female shtick was starting to get tiring for everyone.

"Only difference is Carol`s got people looking for her, I call that an advantage." Daryl finished as he spots a tent ahead.

Back at the farm-house.

Hershel yells, "Don`t. It`s a seizure, if you hold him down, you could hurt him."

Tahlee stands and hobbles to the bedroom door, as she listens as Lori cries, "You can`t stop it?"

Hershel shook his head. "He just has to go through it, his brain isn`t getting enough blood, his blood pressure is dropping as he needs another transfusion."

Immediately offering his arm Rick says, "Okay I`m ready."

"If I take anymore out of you, your body could shut-down. You could go into a coma - or cardiac arrest." Hershel informed them.

"What`s his blood-type?" Tahlee asks startle them.

Hershel answers, "A-Positive."

"Excellent, so am I." As she offered her life force to the dying boy, punctuating her words by holding her arm out, exposing the inner crease of her elbow.

Rick was so thankful, that a practical stranger offering to help save his son`s life and it killed him to decline, "No, Tahlee, you lost so much blood today already."

"It`s been ages since it stopped bleeding, besides a little blood is better than none right Mr. Greene?" She argues as she hobbles towards the bed.

"She`s right, Rick" Hershel agrees, he gestures for the injured woman to sit beside the bed as he gathers the equipment, Hershel calls out, "Maggie!"

Kneeling down beside Tahlee, Rick takes her shoulder in hand with a heartfelt smile on his face. "Thank you," taking care not to knock her sore foot.

"It`s what people do for each other Rick." She smiled, forcing herself not to look at the needle that Hershel was preparing to stick into her vein.

In the Woods.

Daryl immediately raises his crossbow as a rustling appears rather close to where he and Andrea were walking, emerging from around a large tree they could see the source.

"What the hell?" Daryl swears, as Andrea starts gagging from the smell and sight of the hanging walker. Daryl moves closer as he spies a note pinned to the tree.

"Got bit, fever hit, world gone to shit, might as well quit." Shaking his head in disgust, "Dumb-ass didn`t even know enough to shoot himself in the head, turned himself into a giant swinging piece of bait." He turned around seeing Andrea still hunched over. "You alright?"

She stood up with the back of her hand to her mouth. "Trying not to puke!"

Not fazed in the least, he shrugs "Go ahead if you gotta."

"No, I`m fine." She takes a deep breath of air, her eyes still averted from the hanging water. "Let`s talk about something else. How`d you learn to shoot?" she inquires.

"Gotta eat," he grumbles. "That`s one thing these walkers and us have in common. I guess we`re the closest he`s been to food since he turned. Hanging up there like a big-ass pinata, other geeks must of came by a striped him of all his flesh on his legs, see!" Except all he hears is Andrea vomiting so he smirks.

After she finishes, she wipes her mouth. "Thought we were talking about something else?"

"Call it pay-back for laughing at my itchy ass," he grunts before turning away. "Let`s head back." They had been out long enough, he honestly doubted that they'd find Carol anymore. She was a smart woman and would know better than to be out in the open so late, in the dark.

Startled, Andrea blurts out, "What about him?"

"Nah, he ain`t hurting anyone, beside he made his choice. Opted out. Let him hang." Daryl refused before asking, "You still wanna die?"

Andrea frowned, "Answer for an arrow?"

He nodded.

"I don`t know if I wanna live or not, maybe it's just a habit!" she hedged.

Daryl fired his crossbow and hit the walker in the forehead, "Waste of an arrow for that answer." He walks off.

Back at the Farm.

Hershel had Tahlee`s foot resting on the table as the poor girl had Glenn`s hand in a death-grip. "You got here just in time, any longer and we may have had to amputate your toe. Exposed bone like that is prone to infection," he explained as he handed her two Doxycyline tablets to numb the pain.

"Merle Dixon? Is he a friend of yours?" he inquired as he distracted her.

"No Sir, I never met the man, his brother Daryl gave them to us," Tahlee winced as Hershel cleaned off the dry blood.

"Not much of a friend," Glenn frowned.

"Well he is today, these tablets will have saved at least two lives today. Do you know why Merle was taking them?"

Giggling, Tahlee answered, "He had the clap." Glenn smiled, seeing his friend high on painkillers. Better than for her to be completely sober during this process. He was kind of envious—his hand was going numb.

"I`d say Merle Dixon having the clap was the best thing to ever happen," Hershel added knowing that he`ll soon cause this young woman tremendous amount of pain.

Glenn groaned, "I`m trying not to think about that."

"AHHHHHHHHHH, shit, fruit cake with Brussels sprouts," Tahlee screams as Hershel pushes the bone back into place as Tahlee squeezes Glenn`s hand a little too hard.

"Oh, shit! Tahs, let go!" Glenn cried out. Tahlee's grip slackened as she passed out forcing Glenn into catching the unconscious woman.

Rick ran out from his son's room at the commotion that they were causing. "Tahlee, wake up, Tahlee!" Risk shakes her, trying to pat her cheeks to get her back to consciousness.

Hershel stopped him as he spoke in a soothing voice, "She`s alright, she just fainted from the pain. It`s better that she sleeps for the rest anyway." Patricia hands him a needle and thread, everything already disinfected.

After he finished up, Hershel wrapped her foot before indicating that Rick, with Glenn`s help, moves her over to the couch as she continues to sleep. She dreamed of a sweaty red-neck as he carried her off to safety.

* * *

ThE eNd- If you like this story please send me a REVIEW - Chapter Three is with my BETA so I should have it posted shortly.


	3. Healing Wounds - Vindecara ranilor

**A/N: AMC owns everything I`m just borrowing it as my imagination runs wild.**

**I`d like to thank my BETA - stAnd out-SHOUT OUT she is awesome.**

Chapter Three.

Healing Wounds.

_"She was running through a dense forest, being chased by someone or something. Tahlee tried to look behind her when suddenly a pair of hands grabbed her, she screamed in fear as she fell down. Tahlee wasn`t sure if the hands were human or that of the dead as she landed painfully on her back. A single hand wrapped around her throat, choking her..."_

Tahlee gasped as she woke with a start, her heart still racing as the nightmare lingered - "Tahlee are you alright?" Glenn`s sleepy voice pierced her panicked mind.

She wiped the sweat off her face with trembling hands, trying to stop the shaking before he took notice. "I`m…I`m okay, Glenn, just a bad dream." Changing the subject she asks, "How`s Carl?"

Glenn frowned in concern, both for her and for Carl, but answered her question none the less, "Hershel says he's stable and sleeping comfortable now."

Relief coursed through her veins, helping Tahlee to relax a bit more and let her forget her nightmare for the time being. "Thank god. How're Rick and Lori?"

He got up and handed her a glass of water as he answered, "Lori`s sleeping with Carl and Rick`s outside keeping watch."

"Thank you," she muttered before she sipped the water. Once her dry mouth was quenched, she placed it down on the floor beside the couch, keeping it in easy reach. "Any sign of the others?" she asked to keep the conversation going. She wasn't ready to go back to sleep just yet.

"No, not yet. It's like 3 in the morning. How're you feeling?"

Tahlee looked down at her bandaged foot. The gauze was still crisp white, which meant she hadn't started bleeding since Hershel wrapped it up. "It still throbs but it`s manageable."

"You need another painkiller?" Glenn offered her.

"No thanks, I`m not a fan of tablets; beside, Carl will need them more," she declined with a simple shake of her head. She could manage without one, she hoped.

Sitting back down, Glenn sighed. "You should try to sleep some more before the other`s get here."

Tahlee leant up on her elbows, "Glenn, I just wanna thank you for helping me earlier, you`re a good friend." She spoke from her heart and he could hear it clear in her tone. It made him smile as he nodded his head, looking away bashfully.

He couldn't help but to blush. "No problem Tah`s."

"Good night Glenn."

"'Night Tah`s."

Walking Dead

"How is he?" Dale asked a pale Rick after a couple of hours, left with nothing more to do than wait.

"He`ll pull through, thanks to Hershel and his people," Rick said in relief as a ghost of a smile touched his features.

"The others?"

"Both T-Dog and Tahlee will heal. Thank god for Shane, we would have lost Carl if not for him," Rick informed the gathering group, looking them over to make sure that everyone was present and no other injuries had occurred.

Daryl asked, "How`d it happen?"

Sighing in exhaustion Rick answered, "A hunting accident, their man Otis was hunting a deer and his shot hit both the deer and Carl. He went with Shane to the FEMA shelter for medical supplies…he didn`t make it." He bowed his head a moment before continuing, "We`ll all attend the service, later today." His word was final.

Surprising most, Daryl was the first to go inside and he headed straight to a snoozing Tahlee. He stood there in silence, almost like he needed to see with his own eyes that she was okay. She was deep enough in sleep that his presence didn't wake her up, but he could see from the shadows under her eyes that her sleep had been troubled.

Maggie stood off to the side watching as his face softened while he was gazing at the sleeping woman. "She`ll be fine after a day of rest, my father says he`ll remove the stitches in a week," the brunette informed him in a hushed tone.

Barely glancing at her, Daryl grunted, "Good." Knowing he should leave he stepped back but Glenn chose that moment to enter the farmhouse, and accidentally slam the door.

He flinched as soon as the sound echoed through the room. "Sorry," Glenn apologized immediately, but the damaged was done, Tahlee woke up.

Blinking slowly, she carefully sat up. "Oh hey, when did you get here?" She asks a glaring Daryl, who was staring at a sheepish Glenn. The young Asian man already felt bad for waking her, but the glare that Dixon was pinning him with made him fear for his safety.

Maggie rolled her eyes and grabbed Glenn`s hand, pulling him out the door leaving Daryl alone with Tahlee.

"Just now," he answered gruffly, having wanted to avoid speaking with her alone. Daryl hadn't quite gotten accustomed to being around women, especially one he was attracted to that didn't mind his company.

Realizing he wanted to know how she was, without having to ask, she smiled. "Come sit with me." He looked unsure as he moved over to Glenn`s previous seat. Tahlee frowned at the action. "No, Daryl, over here with me." She shifted her legs so he could sit on the couch with her.

Daryl wiped his hands against his dirty jeans as he sat down next to the attractive young woman, feeling self-conscious to be so near to her—and for some unknown reason she was talking to him.

Tahlee grimaced as she sat her feet on the floor, knocking her toe on her boots in the process. Daryl immediately grabbed her bare legs and rested them on his lap. He wasn't even aware he had done so until he felt the soft flesh beneath his palms, the warmth resting across his thighs. He supposed it was a good thing he hadn't thought it through, otherwise he would have stopped himself.

"Thanks," she mumbled shyly, her lips tilting in a smile. "How was last night, did anything happen?"

"Nah, a few walkers but I took care of it. Went for a walk with Andrea and found a walker piñata." He smirked at the memory of Andrea puking, but decided that Tahlee probably wouldn't find the image as amusing so he said nothing about it.

Jealously flared briefly at the mention of him and Andrea alone but she pushed it down deep; Tahlee knew Daryl wasn`t a talker but she enjoyed listening to his voice so she tries to keep the conversation going.

"That`s good, I was so worried about you guys. How`s Sophia doing?"

An unusual feeling hit Daryl at the concern in her voice. 'She was worried about us, maybe about me,' he wonders. Answering her, he finds it hard to actually look at her as he speaks, "Dunno, haven`t spoken to her."

Tahlee watches the side of his face for a moment before she sighs. "That`s okay. I wish you had gotten here earlier; I nearly broke poor Glenn`s hand, when Hershel was fixing my toe. I could have used your hand." She laughs as she takes his hand in hers, feeling him tense, but slowly he relaxes as she runs her finger over his callouses. 'He must work with his hands a lot,' she thought, as she continues to caress his hand.

Daryl looked at her as she played with his hand; she was a unique, beautiful woman who seemed to like him, which he couldn't bring himself to understand.

"How`s ya foot?"

Moving it slightly against his lap, Tahlee made a face. "I`ve never felt so much pain in my life than when Hershel pushed the bone back in. I passed out it was so painful," she explained, "I pray I never feel that again."

"Ya won't," he promised her, true conviction in those two simple words.

"Tahlee, Daryl, we're ready to start the funeral," Rick interrupted them, as Hershel and his family headed outside, with a distraught Patricia in tow. Tahlee's face fell at the mention of the funeral but nodded her head to let Rick know that they would be out.

Sadness gripped her heart as she struggled to get up, putting pressure on her arms as she leans against the arm-rest while she stands for the first time.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Daryl swears.

Not bothering to look at him as she replies, "What do you think I`m doing, I`m going to the service."

Growling at her stubbornness, he swoops her up like a bride once more. "No walking, Princess."

She tucked her face into his neck to hide her grin. Together they joined their group as they walked up to the make shift grave-yard. Sophia gravitates towards her the moment Daryl set her carefully on her feet, letting her lean against the tree nearby so as not to put all weight on her injured foot.

Hershel began with a reading from the Holy Bible;

"Blessed be God, father of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Praise be to Him for the gift of our brother Otis, for his span of years, for his abundance of character, Otis, who he gave his life to save a child`s, now more than ever, our most precious asset. We thank You, God, for the peace he enjoyed in Your embrace. He died as he lived, in grace." He finished and they stayed silent until Otis`s widow speaks up.

"Shane will you speak for Otis?" she asked while turning her tear-filled eyes to the man in question.

Tahlee just notices Shane`s new hair style and frowns at the drastic change.

"I`m not good at it," he mumbles. "I`m sorry."

Tears escape her, "Please, you were the last one with him. You shared his final moments," she begs, "Please, I need to hear. I need to know his death had meaning."

Bending to the pressure, Shane speaks up, "We were almost done, almost out of ammo. We were down to pistols by then. I was limping, it was bad. My ankle was all swollen. We`ve got to save the boy, see, that`s what he said." Shane paused, "He gave me his back-pack, he shoves me ahead. RUN, he shouted. I`ll cover you he said, and when I looked back..." he trailed off.

"If not for Otis, I`d never have made it back, and Carl would be dead."

Looking Patricia, "Your husband saved us, he died a hero," he finished and he walked away.

Tahlee frowned, as much as she loves children she wasn`t sure she would sacrifices herself for someone she`d barely knew. A weird niggling feeling irked her stomach but she left it alone as her strength was failing her as she slumped against Daryl`s strong side, he quickly picked her up again and carried her off to a shaded area to rest as Sophia shadowed behind them.

WALKING-DEAD

An hour later.

Six people gathered around Otis`s blue Ute, as Hershel asked, "How long has this woman been missing?"

Rick answered, "This`ll be day three."

Maggie laid out a map on the bonnet, "Here`s a county survey map, shows the terrain and elevations."

Grateful, Rick nodded his thanks to her. "This is perfect. We can finally get this thing organized, we`ll grid the entire area and start searching the teams."

"Not you, not today. You gave three units of blood yesterday, you wouldn`t be hiking for five minutes before passing out in this heat." Pointing to Shane, "And your ankle - push it now and you`ll be laid up for a month, no good to anybody."

Understanding, Daryl says, "Guess it`s just me. I`m gonna head back to the creek, work my way from there." He indicated a spot on the map.

"Alright," Rick agreed.

"I can still be useful. I`ll drive back to the interstate, see if she made it back there." Shane offered.

Nodding, Rick agreed. "Tomorrow we`ll start doing this right."

Hershel spoke then, "One more thing, I only have one demand on this farm and that`s no guns. We`ve lasted this long without turning it into an army camp."

"With all due respect, you get a crowd of those things wandering in here..." Shane argued, but he didn't get far before Rick cut him off.

"Shane, not now. We`re guests here and we`ll respect his wishes." Rick laid his gun on the bonnet. "Alright first things first; Let`s set up camp and find Carol."

Maggie asks, "I hate to say this, but what if you do find her and she`s been bitten?"

"You do what you has to be done. Put her to rest." Rick says grimly, even as he silently prayed that it never happened.

Shocked, Maggie exclaimed, "What about her daughter? What do you tell her?"

"The truth, that her mother is dead," Daryl says.

Shane picks up Rick`s gun, "I`ll gather and secure all the weapons, make sure no-one is carrying until everyone is trained up. I do have one request, we have one man armed and on watch - Dale has experience and isn`t jumpy."

"Our people would feel safer," Rick adds on, understanding Shane's point. Nodding, Hershel gives his consent. "Thank you."

Maggie spoke up. "Our pile of medication is dwindling so I was thinking of making a run into our little town for supplies."

"Not the same place that Shane went too?" Rick asked with concern.

Shaking her head in a negative response. "No, there`s a small collection of shops about a mile from here. I`ve done it before," Maggie assured him.

Nodding, Rick pointed over to where Glenn was nearby. "See the guy with the baseball cap, Glenn. He`s our go-to guy, you should take him with you."

"Thanks." She heads over to the young Asian man.

Rick rubbed his face in exhaustion, looking over at Daryl who had yet to leave. "You okay on your own?" he asks, knowing that Daryl couldn't handle himself, but still wanting to be sure.

Scowling, Daryl wants to snort at the question. "I`m better on my own, I`ll be back before dark."

"Hey, we got a base now. We can get this search properly organized now" Rick hints.

"You got a point or we just chatting" Daryl bites.

Frowning Rick offers, "I`m letting you off the hook, you don`t owe us anything!"

Daryl really does scoff this time. "My other plans fell through. Just watch Tahlee, damn woman needs to rest," he growls before walking off into the woods.

Rick shakes his head in disbelief at Daryl's way of showing that he cares, before he heads over to the group setting up camp.

Rick looked around but not seeing the woman Daryl had just mentioned. "Where`s Tahlee and Sophia?"

Dale hearing him answers, "Sophia is in charge of looking after her, they're over there under the trees." Pointing to the row of fruit trees. "It`s giving the poor girl something to do," Dale adds sadly.

"Keep an eye out for 'em, Dale."

"Of course."

WALKING DEAD

After sitting under the beautifully large trees for hours watching the picturesque farm, chatting with Sophia and getting to know the cheeky young girl, Tahlee smiled as she lies down.

"You look happy," Sophia said as she made a daisy chain necklace, doing whatever she could to keep occupied.

"I am happy; I am with kind people, a beautiful place that is safe which is a lot more than I had a few days ago," Tahlee grinned as she answered, basking in the warmth of the summer day, enjoyed from the safety of the shade that the tree provided.

Sophia asks cheekily, "Does Mr. Daryl make you happy?"

Tahlee couldn't help the surprised blush that came to her cheeks. "What makes you say that?"

She smiled as she placed her chain on her head, changing it into a crown by that simple action. "I've never seen Mr. Daryl be nice to anyone before when he carried you," she explained through childish innocence.

Tahlee blushed but didn`t say anything.

"Do you like him? As a boyfriend?" Sophia inquired.

Looking up at the pale blue sky she answered, "I find him attractive, yes. Did your mom ever tell you about the birds and the bees?"

Blushing Sophia ducked her head, "Oh god, I don`t need to hear that again."

"Okay, okay, good. Well, Daryl is different than any guy I`ve ever met and I like it - him and I hope I get to know him better." Tahlee smiled.

"I think you`ll be cute together." Sophia giggled; it was said with such innocence and honestly that Tahlee's smile grew at the thought.

Taking the child by surprise, she tackles Sophia onto the grass as she started a tickle war which causes Sophia to giggle loudly, drawing the attention to most of the group as they smiled.

"Stop, please, stop" Sophia begged, her cheeks red from laughing and her words breathy from lack of air.

Tahlee released her as they sat back up gasping for breath.

Daryl emerge from the woods causing Sophia`s smile drop. He was alone.

"It`s okay, sweetie, Daryl is an excellent tracker I`m positive he`ll find your momma," Tahlee promised.

"I miss her, Tahlee, what if she never comes back?" Sophia`s chin trembled.

"Oh honey, come here." She opened her arms for the young girl.

Neither were sure how long she cried, but soon she had exhausted herself out and fell asleep. Daryl walked up, having finished setting up his tent. He had stayed clear while Sophia was crying, having no clue what to do with a distraught child that wasn't even his.

"She okay?" he asked as he sat down beside them.

Caressing Sophia`s hair, Tahlee replies quietly, "She`s just upset and misses her mother." Seeing Daryl`s face drop she continues, "She doesn`t blame you, she understands that the world is different and that her mom may never come back."

"No, I`m gonna find her." He spoke like their wasn`t another option.

She reaches out to touch his hand briefly in comfort. "I know you will."

Lori call out to them, "Guys, dinner's ready."

"Sweetie, Sophia you need to wake up," Tahlee coaxes while she brushes her fingers cross her cheek.

"Hmm, I don`t wanna," she murmured as she curled further in on herself.

Smiling at the sleepy girl, Tahlee tries again. "It`s dinner time, sweetie."

Finally, Sophia opened her eyes and rolls over. "Can I eat with Carl if he`s awake?"

"We`ll have to ask Lori or Rick, come on let's get up." Tahlee smiled.

Daryl wasn`t sure what he felt as he watched Tahlee mother the girl but he liked it, it made him feel protective, made him what something more.

"Daryl can you help me up!" Tahlee asks patiently, snapping him out of his daydream. Clearing his throat, Daryl offered her a calloused hand, "Yeah."

Using his stability, she hefted herself up before Tahlee started to walk with Sophia towards the house. Seeing this, Daryl growled, "Princess what did I tell you about walking!"

Childishly, Tahlee stuck her tongue out at him. "Not to let you see." She replied cheekily making Sophia giggle.

Grabbing her arm and wrapping it over his shoulder he half carried her, when Sophia asked,"Mr. Daryl, will you find my mommy tomorrow?"

"Yeah, kid, I will. Call me Daryl, none of that Mr. crap, okay?" he replied, "Let`s go get some grub."

Dinner was a quiet affair as no one really spoke after the customary 'Grace' before digging in. Sophia was in with Carl as the poor girl needed to be around her friend after the last few days she`s had. After the first full meal in ages, Tahlee hobbled up and started to do the dishes.

Lori set a pile plates beside her after finishing clearing the table. "Thanks for helping, I can`t help but feel like I`ve never spoken to you before now."

Scrubbing at a stubborn plate, Tahlee smiled. "I`d like to get to know you better; how`s Carl doing?"

"Alive and almost back to his old cheeky self, how`s your foot?" Lori answered in relief as she dried the clean plates, stacking them on the counter to put away once they were finished.

Tahlee hands her another dish. "Still sore but it`s better."

Lori looked down in silence for a moment, contemplating on how to say what was on her mind. "Please don`t take what I`m about to say wrong as I think what you're doing with Sophia is great, but don`t get too close because once Carol`s back she`s gonna want her daughter back. Just don`t get too attached!"

Tahlee frowned in confusion. "I don`t understand; I`m just hanging out with the kid, I`m not trying to take over as her mother."

Lori stepped closer, "I don`t mean to be harsh but if it was me, I wouldn`t what some woman moving in on my kid. And you did say you`d be moving on once Carol is found."

Tahlee was dumb-founded. "Why would you what to get to know me, if I was leaving shortly." Lori's words had struck more than one cord in Tahlee and her words were developing a sharper edge as her defenses went up toward the other woman.

"Well I assume since Rick mentioned you had a previous group, I thought you`d want to find them," Lori explained, not even realizing the topic that she was bringing up.

A deep frown marred the natural beauty of Tahlee's face as she met the woman's eyes dead on. "My group was massacred and those that survived left me to die, so no I don`t want to find them because I hope they rot in hell."

Lori looked shocked. "I`m so sorry, I didn`t know."

"You ready, Princess?" Daryl`s southern drawl startled them both.

Seeing Daryl glare bloody daggers at Lori cheered Tahlee up somewhat, as Lori mumbled, "Go, I`ll finish up."

Tahlee dried her hands. "Thanks."

"Hey, Daryl, can you get Sophia for me, someone should put her to bed," Tahlee asks as she limped towards the living room.

"Yeah, you alright?" Daryl nods towards Lori`s direction,

She smiled slightly to reassure him. "I`m fine, meet ya on the porch."

Leaning against the couch for support she was surprised when Hershel gripped her arm. "Here, I found this for you." He handed her a carved wooden walking stick.

"Thank you, it`s beautiful." She appreciated his thoughtfulness more than she could express. It would make everything easier to be able to move around on her own.

"It was my father`s, please treasure it."

Understanding, she hugged him out of pure gratitude. "I will Hershel I promise."

Tahlee rested against the porch's railing as she looked at the clear night sky, unaware that Dale was watching her.

"It`s been a crazy few days hasn`t it, Tahlee. How have you been?" Dale asked in genuine interest as he approached her from further down the porch.

"Geez Dale you nearly gave me a heart attack." She held a hand to her chest, her heart pounding from the sudden surprise. "I`m fine, healing."

"Sorry," he offered with an amused smile. "Good, that`s good. I was wondering if Sophia and yourself are gonna be sleeping in the RV?"

Tahlee cocked her head sideways. "I actually haven`t thought that far ahead. Definitely Sophia will be, I`ll have to ask Daryl since I haven`t seen my bag since yesterday."

"You're with me Princess, Bug here is gonna stay in the RV, it`s safer." Daryl gestured to Sophia at his side.

"Did you just call me a bug?" Sophia looked disgusted at the nickname. However, she also appeared adorably cute as she looked up at Daryl, seeming so small in comparison.

Daryl looked down at the young girl. "Yeah I did, Bug."

Tahlee was amused at the affection Daryl displayed to young Sophia. "Come on, Bug, let`s get you to bed." Tahlee smirked. She rather enjoyed having a nickname for Sophia.

"I`m not a baby, I don`t need to be tucked in," Sophia exclaimed as she walked off towards the RV, throwing a short, child's tantrum that Tahlee remembered too well.

"Hey wait a minute young lady, where`s mine goodnight hug, huh," Tahlee cried out, mock horrified at her hug had ben forgotten.

Sophia smothered a smile as she came back and hugging her new friend, Tahlee briefly kisses her on the forehead when Lori`s words drift back to her 'Don`t get attached'. She never let her smile falter, though, since Sophia deserved the love and attention. "Goodnight Little Bug."

Sophia, since she now had to deal with a nickname, decided to be cheeky. "Night Princess." She giggles as she runs off towards the RV.

"Oh you, cheeky girl," Tahlee laughed before glancing at Daryl. "Look at what you started!"

"Come on, Princess," Daryl ushered her towards his tent.

"Am I staying with you?" Tahlee asks him as she carefully limps behind him, making sure to use the cane she had acquired carefully.

Grunting a yes Daryl almost pushed her in when she paused to call out to Dale, "Dale, if Sophia needs me I`ll be in Daryl`s tent."

"Sure thing Tahlee." Dale assured her, smiling in mirth as he watches the two of them disappeared behind the thin tent material.

Entering the dark tent, Tahlee carefully sit-down and lays the walking stick down near the wall. Daryl had set up both their sleeping bags and their bags beside them. Tahlee opened up hers and started to change clothes.

Striping off the angel-winged vest and handing back to him, she then takes off her t-shirt, leaving her in just her bra. She doesn't even seem to realize that she's stripping in front of a man, especially one she's only known for a couple of days.

"What-what are you doing?" He stutters in surprise, his attention caught on the span of her back.

Tahlee glances over her naked shoulder. "Changing" she replied, stating the obvious.

"I can leave," he mumbled as he tried not to look at the semi-naked woman sitting in his tent.

"Nah, I`m almost done," she said as she slipped on a button up shirt she may have nicked from Daryl as she delicately removed her bra.

Getting into her sleeping bag so she could remove her shorts, she watched as Daryl untied his boots and settling down for bed. His routine was a hell of a lot simpler than hers, apparently.

"Arn`t you going to remove your jeans? Sleeping in jeans isn`t one of my favorite things to do," she teased.

Daryl grunted, " 'm use to it."

She rolled over to face him. "But you don`t have to anymore, we`re safe here." Figuring it would be easier just to comply he stripped off his dirty jeans before throwing them at her head with a loud smack of denim on flesh.

"What the fuck, Daryl?" she swore aloud, hurrying to throw the jeans off of herself.

He smirked. "What, you said take em off."

"You jerk, ew these are disgusting," she flung them away. "I`ll wash em in the morning and anything else you need cleaned," she offered, realizing that no one was looking after him and he would be gone all day looking for Carol.

Daryl looked over at the young woman. "You don`t have to, Princess."

Smiling she says. "Well since you banned me from walking around, I can sit and do laundry. Beside, someone needs to look after you."

"Yeah, yeah, g`night, Princess."

Tahlee moved herself closer to him so she could touch his face, brushing a finger against his cheek. "Good night Daryl."

The End.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter and soon more will come...


	4. Arguing with Daryl-Argumentând cu Daryl

**A/N: This is the properity of AMC with a little bit of my imagination.**

**I`d like to thank my BETA writer stAnd out - SHOUT OUT**

Chapter Four

Tahlee woke feeling more refreshed and relaxed than she had in months. She yawned and stretched her arms but she felt something restricting her movements. Opening her eyes, she looked down and saw a muscular, dirty arm wrapped around her waist. She looked up at Daryl`s face and immediately noticed how peaceful he appeared; she was amazed at how easy she felt sleeping beside a virtual stranger—she felt like she's known him longer than two days.

Gently, she ran her fingertip along his cheek before grazing his bottom lip in wonder, 'I wonder what he tastes like' she thought, not realizing that he was staring at her in amazement, having first woken when she tried to move.

"Watcha doing?" he mumbled out, still half asleep.

Tahlee blushed as she pulled her hand back, embarrassed at having been caught. "I`m sorry I was just thinking." She tried to roll away but he tightened his grip, effectively keeping her in place.

Daryl couldn`t believe how at ease he was around her, how the constant need to push people away didn't involve her; if anything it made him want her around more. Even the most alienated people wanted company now and then, to remove the loneliness they lived with at any other time.

"Did you sleep okay?" she asked him, trying to alleviate the awkwardness of the situation.

He grunted as he loosened his grip on her. "Fine, could've been better but someone decided to strangle me," he lied smoothly, it had been the best night sleep he'd ever had.

Tahlee felt guilty as she sat up, the emotion showing clear in her eyes as she looked down at him. "I`m so sorry Daryl, I guess I`m a cuddlier. Who knew?"

Daryl frowned as he pulled her back down. "I was joking Princess, I slept fine."

Tahlee smiled shyly as she rested her head against his shoulder, returning to her place on her sleeping bag. "I`m still sorry, sleep is hard to come by these days and you need more rest than anybody else."

Simply laying there, he grunted, "Forget about it." They continued to enjoy the peace and quiet as they thought about each other.

"Daryl?"

"Hmm, what?"

She tucked her body close to his side as she laid her hand close to his heart. "Do you think we would have met had the world not ended. I mean, we were practically neighbors," she pointed out conversationally, hoping to delay getting up for the day. She was surprisingly comfortable, lying so close to him.

Daryl was struggling to resist threading his fingers through her long brown hair as he answered, "Nah, I doubt it."

"Really?" She was surprised; he sounded so sure. "You don`t think that we`d run into each other at a bar, maybe we`d play pool - which I would win cos I`m awesome, you would buy me a drink..." She hinted at more could happen.

He snorted, destroying her fantasy, "You wouldn`t be caught dead in the bars I hanged at," he immediately dismissed the idea.

Tahlee leaned back at his dismissal. "Why?"

Obviously he had no idea he was basically rejecting her. "Girls like you would never go there, we're beneath you."

She sat up quickly as her temperament spiked. "What the hell does that mean? Girls like me? Are you being racist? 'Cause let me tell you I'm just as American as you are!" she snapped at him, not caring that the others might hear her. 'Glenn was right,' she thought to herself. However, she did not realize she was basically being racist by assuming that he was.

She hurriedly moved away from him to collect her clothes while Daryl struggled to understand how such a pleasant morning turned to ash. He was left to stand baffled as he watched her snatching clothes roughly from her bag.

"Jesus, Princess, that's not what I meant!" He hurried to sit up as he watched her struggle to move around with her busted toe.

The only problem was that she wasn`t listening to him. "I can't believe you; Glenn tried to warn me about you but I didn`t listen since you've been so nice." She felt tears starting to well up. 'I can`t believe I how much I liked him.' In her rush to escape him she tripped over Daryl`s crossbow banging her sore toe causing her to cry out; "Fucking hell!"

Daryl caught her as she fell down in pain. "Easy, Princess," he eased her back down on her bed, "Let me have a look!"

"Please, just give me a minute alone, Daryl," she begged as tears ran freely down her cheeks.

Growling, he snarled at her, "Fine, you're a stubborn bitch." He grabbed his clothes, shoes and crossbow before he ripped the open the tent and stalked out.

She laid there whimpering as both physical and emotional pain burned through her slim body, before a timid Sophia called out, "Tahlee, are you okay?"

The woman quickly wiped away her tears, not wanting the innocent child to see her in that state. "I`m okay, honey, could you please get me some water!"

"Okay, I`ll be right back!" Sophia called out before running off to the RV.

Tahlee decided to push through the pain and to change into fresh clothing, slipping on clean underwear and her shorts from yesterday. She pulled her bra back on and had just begun slipping on a new shirt when Sophia popped up once more.

"Oops, sorry." Sophia blushed as she turned around but not before catching sight of her bite, crying out, "Are you bitten?" She tackles Tahlee in her panic, worried for her new friend.

"Oh no, baby. Listen to me sweetheart. Yes I was bitten but somehow I didn`t get sick, we`re not sure why but Rick would like to keep this a secret, can you pinky promise me that you`ll never tell anyone?" Tahlee hoped she could.

Delicately wiping away a lone tear Sophia asked, "Does Daryl know?"

"Yeah bug he does, they saw it when they found me. Can you keep this a secret bug?" Tahlee asked again, hoping that this child would understand the importance of the others not knowing.

"Yea, I`ll pinky promise."

Tahlee wrapped her arms around her 'lil bug and she rocked them until Sophia asked quietly, "Does this mean if I get bitten that I`ll be okay like you?"

She kisses her forehead to try and think of an answer. She didn't want to scare the girl, but she didn't want to get her hopes too high, either. "I dunno, but I think the safest thing to do is avoid it the best we can. I think what happened to me was a miracle and they don`t happen often. You understand, yeah?"

"Yeah, don`t get bit. Do you think my mom's been bitten? And that`s why Daryl can`t find her?" Sophia asked, her eyes misting over at the thought.

Tightening her hold, Tahlee spoke gently, "I don`t wanna lie, bug, there is a chance that your mommy is infected but I also believe that we will find her cos we have Daryl, he`s the best tracker in the world and he won't stop until she's home."

"I'm worried, Tahlee, Mommy has never been camping before or hiking and she didn`t even have a knife, how can she protect herself?" Sophia cried.

Pain pierced her heart as Tahlee listened to this little girl cry for her lost mommy and she prayed to whatever god that`ll listen, 'Please return her mother to her.' She rocked them until the tears eased, "Listen, bug, I reckon your mom is hiding in a tree or farm house just waiting to be found. What do you think about this, we go check the highway and see if she`s waiting at the sign?"

Brightening up, Sophia readily agreed as she released her segregate mother to finish getting dressed.

WALKING DEAD

After breakfast, which consisted of powdered eggs and fried tomatoes, Tahlee and Sophia approached Rick.

"Morning ladies," he greeted with a tip of his Sheriff's hat, causing Sophia to giggle into her hand.

Tahlee was leaning against her walking stick, thankful for the freedom. "Morning, Officer, Sophia and I were hoping to borrow a car and head out towards the highway to check on the sign for Carol."

Rick immediately frowned. "I`m not sure that`s a good idea as neither of you can defend yourselves just yet."

"I am able to defend myself, at my old camp I got quite good with a gun. Beside, we don`t need to get out of the car and if I can borrow a knife just in case." Tahlee hoped he would agree. If it would give Sophia some peace of mind, which was all Tahlee would ask for.

Rubbing his face, Rick sighed, "How's your foot?"

"Rick I wouldn`t have suggested this if I wasn`t sure. I`m good to go," Tahlee assured.

"Alright, you can take Shane`s car, it`s the safest. I`ll get you a gun and a knife," he instructed. He still sounded reluctant and worried, but Tahlee knew that it was just Rick's nature. They were all a part of a group and he was the kind of person to worry about everyone within that group.

Sophia smiled up at him. "Thanks Mr. Rick, I really want to help in finding my mom."

"I`m sure it's only a matter of time 'til we find her, Sophia." Rick patted her shoulder.

"Rick, I`d really like to head off as quickly as possible," Tahlee encouraged without sounding overbearing.

"No problem, I`ll get them now," Rick said in assurance before he walked off.

"Alright, lil bug, lets go pack a bag of water and a first aid kit," Tahlee instructed Sophia, knowing that Rick would be a couple of minutes.

Thankfully, it wasn't more than a half-hour and the two were cruising up the highway, making their way for the traffic snarl.

"Bug, why don`t you check the glove compartment, there might be some cd`s we can listen too," Tahlee asked her, motioning to the compartment located below the airbag on Sophia's side.

Sophia giggled, "There`s a few but look, they're all silly ones." She showed Tahlee the soundtrack discs for Disney movies. It was apparent that the car had once belonged to a family with children.

Tahlee laughed along with Sophia, shaking her head. "What else is there?"

"There`s the Wiggles, Spice Girls, Taylor Swift and the Veronica's," Sophia listed, her voice entirely confused over many of the artists.

Grimacing, Tahlee decides. "Your choice."

"I really like Disney, especially the Lion King," she says as she inserts the CD to one of the movies. As soon as the music began Sophia seemed to know the words immediately and began singing along; it wasn't too long before Tahlee had caught on and did the same.

Unfortunately the happy atmosphere evaporated the minute Tahlee put the car in park at the traffic-jam, no one was there.

Tahlee read the sign: CAROL, STAY HERE. WE WILL COME BACK EVERY DAY. Sophia had been the one to write it, so the letters were wonky and clearly that of a child, but it was clearly legible in big letters.

"Honey, stay in the car, I`m gonna go have a quick check just to make sure she isn`t asleep in the car," Tahlee instructed as she checked the loaded six chamber gun before grasping her sheathed knife.

"Wait, you told Mr. Rick that we wouldn`t be getting out!" Sophia exclaimed.

"I know I did but we need to be sure before we head back," Tahlee said as she opened the door. "Do not get out of the car."

Limping forward, Tahlee gripped her knife hard until her knuckles turned white, the over baring smell of decomposing corpses invaded her nostrils and making her gag. She approached the abandoned car and using the butt of the knife to tap against the boot, then she waited for any movement. There was nothing. Disappointment filled her. She was peeking into the window when Sophia's scream pierced the air.

"TAHLEE!"

Turning back around, Tahlee`s heart stopped; there were nine walkers surrounding Sophia and their car.

Raising her gun, she sent up a quick prayer; "God, please, don't let me miss." Then she aimed at the closest walker.

BANG

She shot it through the cheek but other than that she ignored it as it dropped to the floor. She moved on to the next problem.

BANG

BANG

BANG

"Damn it," she swears as she misses the fourth one. "Focus, Tahlee,"

BANG

BANG

Immediately, she drops the gun as it's now useless. She moves around the abandon cars to put some distance between her and the walkers, which had turned on her due to all of the noise the gun created. Taking a deep breath, she planned her attack; she would move quick and only take on one at a time before moving back behind the safety of the car.

Running out towards a male walker, she winces as her toe starts throbbing. Unsheathing her knife and stabs him in the head, it feels like seconds have passed before there are no more walkers coming at her. Breathing deeply she looks to Sophia as dread fills her stomach, a walker was banging against Sophia`s window.

She summons what strength she had left she grabbed the walker by its bloody shirt pulling it back, slamming her knife to the hilt into its brain. Removing her knife as black goo dripped from the corpse, onto her shirt Tahlee groaned in disgust.

Tahlee climbed over the walker and got into the car. "You okay, bug?" Sophia's face was red from the tears that she had already shed and there were more continuing to drip from her eyes.

"I was so scared, Tahlee, I thought you were going to die," she sobbed as she buried her head into Tahlee`s lap, uncaring of the gore on her shirt.

"We're safe, baby. I`m so sorry, bug, I`m so sorry," she apologized as she rubbed Sophia`s back, hoping to quell the sobs that were shaking the small girl's body.

Minutes pass before Sophia`s tears subside, but she is soon breathing easy again. "Can we go home now?"

"Yeah, bug—oh shit, I dropped Rick`s gun. I`ve got to go get it, I`ll be right back. Keep an eye out, okay? Can you do that for me?" Tahlee asked her.

"Yeah, okay, please be careful," Sophia begged. All she could think about was the scene that had just taken place outside.

Taking barely a minute, Tahlee was back in the car and and made a quick U turn. Both were relieved to be heading back towards the safety of the farm—only this time there was no singing.

WALKINGDEADWALKINGDEADWALKINGDEADWALKINGDEADWALKINGDEADWALKINGDEAD

Arriving at the farm, Tahlee parks the car over by the others and quickly grabs Sophia`s hand. "How are you feeling, Bug?"

She whimpers, "I`m okay, I just miss my mommy and I don`t think she could have done what you did! And I know it`s silly but I miss my dolly, too."

Wiping away a tear, Tahlee smiles. "Hey, it's okay to miss her, missing her means that you love her and that`s a good thing. I reckon we can get you another dolly if you want. You know, Soph, before all this happened I couldn`t shoot a gun or protect myself. I learned all that from my other group, my friend George trained me so if you like I`m sure Rick or Shane or even Daryl could train you, too."

Sophia's eyes lit up. "You really think so? I really do want to learn to protect myself and the group."

"Come on, let`s go find the others," Tahlee offered.

Approaching the group as they peered down a well, it wasn`t until they got closer did they hear Dale say; "We`ve got to get it out."

Frowning, Tahlee too steps up and looks down to see what everyone was focusing on. "Holy shit, how`d it get down there?" No one answered her question. Knowing one could answer her question—they had the exact same one.

A floater was trapped down there.

T-Dog spoke up to the earlier concern Dale had posed. "Easy, just put a bullet in its head and pull it out."

Sophia cries out, "Eww." It was actually adorable the way that her face scrunched up in disgust and it made Tahlee hide a grin.

"I`ll get a rope," Shane started to walk off when until Maggie argued.

"Whoa, guys, no way are you shooting him. Even if he hasn`t contaminated the water, blowing his brains out will finish the job," She said with her hands on her hips.

Nodding, Andrea agreed, "She`s right, we can`t risk it."

"So it has to come out alive? How?" Tahlee asks as she wraps her arms around Sophia.

Glenn, being sarcastic, added, "Well so to speak."

Piping up Sophia asks, "How do we do that?"

Tahlee was shocked at the solution that they dreamed up as she shook her head in disbelief. Watching as the men dangled a hunk of spam on the end of a rope - like a fishing rod - 'How did a group of intelligent people come up with such a stupid plan, I`ll never know,' she thought.

Andrea was also shocked with their plan and calls out, "It`s not going for it."

"Yeah cause it`s not kicking a screaming," Glenn added in disappointment.

Lori frowned, "He`s right. There`s a reason the dead didn`t come back to life and start raiding the cupboards."

"We need live bait," Shane exclaimed as he looked over to Tahlee.

Dread filled her stomach as Shane continued to stare at her, so Tahlee offered another idea. "What if we cut ourselves and the smell of fresh blood on the spam should grab its attention."

"Nah, I reckon our best bet is to lower someone down so they can hook it quicker," he rejects her idea. Clearly, he was dead-set on serving her up for lunch.

Lori looked around. "So, who`s going down?"

Shane wasn't about to lose his opportunity and he spoke up first. "It should be the lightest, dismissing Sophia, of course is Tahlee."

'Oh fuck no,' Tahlee swore to herself.

"No," Sophia screamed, gripping Tahlee`s arm in fear. 'I can`t lose her' Sophia mentally yells.

Tahlee eased Sophia`s fingers loose. "It`s okay, Bug, I`m not volunteering for this; besides if you want to get technical Lori`s thinner, therefore lighter." She hated the idea of throwing Lori under the bus but there was no way in hell she was going down that well.

"Lori isn`t going down there, she has a child," Shane dismisses as he glares at her. Tahlee glares right back as her anger mounts. This man was getting on her last, short nerve.

"So what just because she has a child the rest of us are expendable? Is that how this groups works?" Tahlee argued back.

Shane is furious at this blow-in little shit questioning him. "She`s more important than you, yeah."

"Stop, Jesus Christ what`s wrong with you?" Lori steps in between the arguing pair. "Shane you have no right to say that to her, every person here is precious and she has a right to refuse at being used as bait. Tahlee, I understand you were just making a point but I too refuse to go down there. So what else can we do about this?" Lori defused the situation.

WALKINGDEAD

SPLASH

"Now what?" Tahlee groaned as she rubbed her sore backside from the fall as T-Dog helped her up.

Shaking his head, T-Dog says sarcastically, "Good thing we didn`t do anything stupid like shoot it." As he approached the top half of the decaying walker and slamming a hay-bale fork into its head, stopping its still snapping jaws.

"We need to seal off this well," Dale added while wiping the sweat off his brow.

Shane nodded. "Good idea."

Everybody scattered after that, Maggie and Glenn headed into town on horseback, which Tahlee laughed at how awkward Glenn was in the saddle. Shane took Andrea out to practice gun shooting while checking the new estates for Carol. Dale went up on watch at the RV, so that left Sophia and Tahlee on their own as they made their way up to the farmhouse.

"Knock, knock," Tahlee called out at the open front door.

Patricia waved them in. "What can I do for you two today?"

"We were just wondering if Beth or Maggie had any books to read since I can`t move around too much. I was going to do the laundry and Sophia wants to read to me." Tahlee asked nicely.

Smiling, Patricia called out, "Beth, can you come down here for a minute, please?"

The pretty young blonde girl come thumping down the stairs. "Beth, hun, can Sophia here borrow one of your books?" Patricia asked as she motioned to the small girl next to Tahlee.

"Sure you can, what type are you interested in?" Beth inquired as she took Sophia upstairs.

Ten minutes later and Tahlee was already regretting having volunteered to wash Daryl`s clothes as they immediately dirtied the fresh clean water. She groaned as she scrubbed at a particular stubborn stain. "Just like there owner," she mumbled as Sophia came running over with a book in hand.

"So what did you pick?" Tahlee asked, forgetting about the annoying redneck with the terrible sense of cleanliness.

Sophia smiled as she held up the first novel in the Harry Potter series. "I love Harry Potter, Mum was borrowing them from the library until they canceled our card because Dad burned one of them."

'Poor girl', Tahlee thought as she smiled. "I love 'em too, why don`t you start reading aloud while I do this." She held up one of Daryl`s wet flannel-net shirts as she stuck her tongue out making Sophia giggle.

Sophia climbed into the large hammock and cleared her throat; "Chapter One, The Boy Who Lived. Mr and Mrs Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. They were the last people you`d expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn`t hold with such nonsense," she continued to read until her voice grew sore.

Meanwhile, in town.

With the horses safely tied up, Glenn, with his trusty bat, entered the Pharmacy with Maggie close behind. "I`ve never seen one killed up close before," Maggie said out of nowhere, making Glenn pause. "I guess I was shocked at how easy you guys made it seem," she added in place of an explanation for the impromptu comment.

Glenn did a quick sweep with his eyes before deeming it safe enough so they could talk. "Being out on the road, we've seen a lot. Maybe we`ve become numb to the horror of it." A timid silence lasted a few minutes before Glenn spoke up, "Why don`t you go see what antibiotics are left."

Maggie stepped forward, "What else is on the list?"

"Uh... Why don`t you get started?" he stuttered as he shuffled his feet.

Wondering why he suddenly got so nervous she asked, "What about you?"

"I`m gonna look around, see what`s worth grabbing, you know, general stuff," he mumbled as he walked off in the direction he hoped was the feminine products. Maggie frowned as she watched him move away but shrugged before making her way to the back, where the antibiotics and other meds were kept.

Sighing in relief, Glenn quickly grabbed two pregnancy tests and stuffed them in his bag when the condom display caught his eye. 'Maybe I should take some, not just for me but for Daryl, he`s gotten pretty close with Tahlee or maybe even Rick if it turns out that Lori isn`t pregnant' he wonders not realizing that Maggie is standing behind him.

"What you get?" She startles him.

Blushing, Glenn stutters, "Uh...um... Nothing. Just, like I said, general stuff."

"Condoms are general?" She raises an eyebrow, "You got a girlfriend I don`t know about? Tahlee?" She asks trying to cover the hurt she`s feeling.

"Me? No. No, Tahlee isn`t my girlfriend, she`s just my friend besides I`m pretty sure she likes Daryl," he blabs out, his nervousness and embarrassment causing him to just spout out whatever comes to mind.

"So then what? You`re just a confident guy?" Maggie asked, liking how he stutters and gets all flustered.

"No. No, no, no. I-I-I wasn`t suggesting... I would never...I-I`m lost."

Ouch, that hurt as Maggie glared at him. "Is there something wrong with me?"

Paling, Glenn says quickly, "No! Your beautiful, I..." he laughs nervously, "I would never have se-ex with you because your father would kill me."

"I`d have sex with you," she said boldly.

Not believing how weird this conversation has gotten he gasped, "Really, why?"

"It`s not like our options are vast these days. And you`re not the only one that`s lonely," she explained as she stripped off her shirt and unclipped her bra, leaving her completely bare from the pant-line, up.

"Wow," Glenn whispered as he felt himself harden.

Back at the farm.

Together, Sophia and Tahlee laid in the hammock as Tahlee read aloud from chapter five. "'There`s a Ministry of Magic?" Harry asked, before he could stop himself. "Of course," said Hagrid. "They wanted Dumbledore fer Minister but he`d never leave Hogwarts, so old Cornelius Fudge got the job. Bungler if ever there was one. So he pelts Dumbledore with owls every morning, asking for advice.'" Tahlee paused as a shadow crept up from behind, covering the book, so she looked up and was surprised to see Daryl standing there.

"Hey, you okay?" she asked him.

Daryl cleared his throat, "Yeah, I just wanna give Sophia something."

Sophia carefully sat up as the hammock swayed. "You didn`t find mum!" she said as a statement rather than a question.

"No but I did find this and thought you might like it." He held out a beautiful pure white flower in a beer bottle vase.

Gently, Sophia touched the petals before looking Daryl in the eye silently asking, Why?

"Do you know the story about the Cherokee Rose?" he asked her, tucking his hands in his jeans awkwardly.

She shook her head no as Tahlee rubbed her back while looking at this rugged, sweet, caring, rough looking redneck who brought this little girl a flower.

"There`s a story that when the American soldiers were moving the Indians off their land, on a trail of tears the Cherokee mothers were grieving and crying so much `cause they were losing their little ones along the way from exposure, disease and starvation. A lot of them just disappeared. So the Elders, they said a prayer; asking for a sign to uplift the mother`s spirits to give 'em strength and hope. The next day this rose started growing right where the mother`s tears fell. I`m not foolish enough to think there`s any flowers growing for my brother, but I believe this one grew for your Momma."

Sophia jumped out of the hammock and into Daryl`s arms as she cried into his strong chest, all the while gripping her flower.

"Thank you, Daryl."

End of Chapter Four.


	5. Goodnight - Noapte Buna

**A/N: This own by AMC with a tad of my imagination. I hope you enjoy this and leave me a Review.**

* * *

Goodnight

Chapter Five

Tahlee smiled at her young charge as she tucked her into bed after reading some more of the Harry Potter book. "Night, Bug, don`t let the bed bugs bite." Tahlee giggled along with Sophia. "Good night Tahlee, thank you for looking after me." Sophia was thankful since the others seem to be ignoring her. She knew that it wasn't their fault, though. They were worried about Carl and her mother, both of them either injured or lost.

"You don`t have to thank me for that, Bug, I`m not doing this for any other reason than liking you, you remind me of my sister when I was little." Tahlee smiles as she thinks of her lost sister, trying not to feel sad but instead remembering her love for her.

Brushing Sophia`s fringe back she kisses her on the forehead. "Night, Bug, Andrea and Dale should be in soon and I`ll see you in the morning."

Picking up her bag of clothes and the thin woolen blanket she borrowed off Maggie earlier, Tahlee headed outside but paused on the threshold of the RV. 'Where the hell am I gonna sleep' she cursed to herself.

She heads over to the hammock when Dale calls out, "You sure that's safe, sleeping out in the open like that?"

"I don`t have a choice, staying with Daryl isn`t an option tonight and I`ll figure out another option tomorrow. I`ll be fine, g`night Dale," she says as continues on to the hammock.

Setting her bag down against the tree-trunk and placing her knife that Rick let her keep on top in easy reach, she eases herself into the hammock. Tucking the blanket around her body and laying back she looks up towards the stars.

"What the fuck are you doing, Princess?" Daryl growls at her, appearing behind her nearly silently.

Tahlee lets out a sigh, too exhausted to deal with any more drama that day; she didn't even jump in surprise as she would have at his spontaneous appearance. "This is where I`m sleeping tonight, Daryl, please just go to bed."

"Na, it ain`t. Ya sleeping in my tent. Now get your skinny ass in there or I`ll carry ya," he demanded.

Tahlee growled but got up throwing her blanket at his face and climbed out grabbing her bag and storming off towards that stubborn bastard's tent.

Throwing her bag down, she slumped onto her sleeping bag, facing away from him. He enters the tent and zips the door up before sitting down on his bed and kicks his boots off. He watched as she continued to ignore him so he bit the bullet and tried to apologize, "Princess, I didn`t mean how it sounded earlier."

"What`d ya mean then?" she asked curiously.

Daryl rubbed his face and he thought, 'Need to shave soon.'

"I meant that pretty girls like you aren`t the type that hanged out at the bar`s I frequent, they were whore`s who have been with every guy in a 50 mile radius. You`re different; classy."

Tahlee rolled over to face him and she noticed even in the dim light a blush spread across his face, "I think you`re made a wrong impression about me, Daryl, I`m not the Princess you make me out to be. I was a foster kid for over ten years and have been to over 80 different families in that time. I witnessed my mother being murdered by my father at age 6, my 10 year old sister committed suicide because my father`s friends liked to abuse her and I threatened to do the same if the government didn`t take me away. So what part of that screams princess material?" she explained, her throat getting tight as her eyes misted with tears.

Daryl was stunned at her horrible early life, it made him compare their early lives and while he may have had an abusive father and disappearing brother but he still had them. She had no one except people who only looked after her for money.

Moving over, he gently pulled her onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her slender body. "I didn`t mean to reject you, I just never thought a pretty girl…woman like you would ever be interested in a dirty redneck like me," he muttered into her neck.

She wrapped her arms around his neck as she turned her face into his neck and her lips brush against his skin before she pulled back resting her forehead against his. "You don`t see yourself clearly do you? I see a protector, provider; a man who is searching for a lost woman and comforts her daughter by giving her a rose. I see a man who is a hunter yet is sweet and you are a man I really like so please don`t degrade yourself like that."

He grunted but he stayed looking into her beautiful brown eyes and he wonders why this gorgeous girl is interested in him when her lips press against his - stopping all thought as he froze. Seconds pass when she moves away snapping him out of his daze and he hears her whisper, "I`m sorry."

"Don`t be," he mumbles as he locks his arms around her and draws her close to instigate a return kiss.

Tahlee sighed into the kiss as she presses against his chest, pushing him down onto his bed as she straddles his waist. Daryl brings his hands up onto her hips, which were now bare as her shirt had ridden up as his fingers brush against her lower back, causing her to shiver.

Daryl ran his tongue against her bottom lip as she granted him access and then the battle for dominance began. She slips her fingers into his shirt as she slowly unbuttons and her fingers skimmed against his chest, forcing him to freeze.

"No," he grabbed her hands and sitting up forcing her to slide down onto his lap which was proving to be uncomfortable as his jeans became tight. He leans his forehead against hers. "Sorry, `m not ready for that yet," he breathed. Never in his life did he think that he would be in that moment, pushing a beautiful woman away in embarrassment.

Understanding, she caressed his cheek. "It`s properly for the best anyway. We shouldn`t move to fast, besides I should tell you—god this is embarrassing, I`m not a virgin or anything but I`m not really experienced but I know I want this with you." She blushed as as his eyes locked onto hers and an intense emotion shown through.

Daryl lifted her up and sat her beside him because if she stayed sitting on him like that he would have taken her right then and there. "That`s nothing to be ashamed about Princess, It`s a turn on for guys to know there woman haven`t been touched or still new to it." He smirked as he lay down onto his back with his arms tucked under his head.

Tahlee felt flushed with heat that was spreading from her tummy with the intimacy they just shared, she delicately laid down pulling their blanket over their bodies as she laid her head against his chest. Feeling him tense, she goes to sit up but he murmur`s, "Stay," and within minutes they were both fast asleep.

* * *

WALKING DEAD

* * *

Waking up the next morning was sublime as Tahlee woke wrapped up in Daryl`s strong arms as he continued to sleep; or so she thought as he mumbled, "G`morning."

"Good morning," she smiled as she stretched up and pecking his lips with a kiss.

He grunted while tightening his hold on his woman. "I`m thinking of taking a horse and checking out some higher ground and some of the farmhouses, you`ll be alright?" he inquired. Having kissed her, held her and slept with her so close, he felt that leaving would be abandoning her.

Tahlee was surprised but smitten with him. "I`m gonna get up and help cook breakfast and see if Hershel needs anything done around the farm. I finished all the laundry yesterday." She rolled over and grabbed her clothes bag and starts pulling out a clean set for the day.

Daryl grunted as he watched her change into a new outfit while he too pulled on his stained jeans. "Hows ya foot?"

Glancing over at him she realized she should get Hershel to have a look at it and change the sweaty bandage. "It`s better than I expected as it only hurts when I bump it, I`ll ask Hershel to have a look at it later." She carefully unwraps the dirty bandage revealing the scarring wound on her big toe.

Daryl paused as he undid the tent door. "I`ll see ya later."

She snapped her head up, surprise that he was going so soon. "Aren`t you forgetting something? Beside you should wait until your had breakfast, you more than anyone can`t go without food."

A warm strange feeling spread throughout his chest as he realize she really does care about him. "I`ll grab something quick. Keep that knife close by, this farm may feel like paradise but this world is still dangerous," he warned her.

"I know, Daryl, but you're still forgetting something?" She tilted her head as she watched his face twist in confusion.

"I dunno," he mumbled and frowns as she giggles.

"Sorry but you look cute like that. You forgot your goodbye kiss." She stood and gently rests her hand against his chest, "I know neither of us are used to intimacy but I`d really like to try, and I don`t just mean sex but hand holding, kissing, talking and just being around each other. I don`t want you to change, just add me into your life a little bit at a time," she explained softly.

"Jeez, Princess, I ain`t good in front of people, `m a private person."

Tahlee takes his hand. "I ain`t saying we need to be hooking up in front of everyone, I mean when we're alone or just with Sophia. Would that be okay?"

He caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. "Yeah, Princess, I can do that."

After a quick, passionate kiss they parted ways.

* * *

WALKING DEAD

* * *

Forty minutes later, Tahlee was pouting as T-Dog continued to laugh at her as he attempted to salvage breakfast of eggs, fried tomatoes and beans. "I think it`s safer for everyone involved if you don`t cook anymore," he said, making Sophia giggle, so Tahlee stuck her tongue out at the pair.

Out of the corner of her eye, Tahlee saw Lori emerge from her family's tent, so she calls out to her, "Morning Lori."

"Morning, I can`t believe I slept in so late," she stretched out.

She could understand that. "You must of needed it, besides you haven`t missed much." The intoxicating smell of breakfast wafted through the air making Tahlee`s stomach rumble and having the opposite reaction with Lori as she covered her mouth.

"You okay, Lori?" she asked worriedly.

Breathing through her mouth, she nodded. "I`m alright; wake me up next time?" She headed inside to check on her son.

Twenty minutes later.

Everyone had eaten a hearty breakfast and they gathered around Otis`s blue Ute as they planned out a search grid. To Tahlee`s delight, Daryl had stuck around and was now pressed up against her side.

"Alright, everyone`s getting new search grids today. If she made it to the farmhouse Daryl found yesterday then she may have gone further east than we expected." Rick explained.

A young cowboy hat wearing boy stepped forward, "I`d like to help. I know the area pretty well."

"Hershel okay with this?" Rick asked.

Jimmy fidgeted. "Yeah, yeah. He said I should ask you."

Tahlee frowned, not liking his answer but Rick seemed fine with it. "Alright than, thanks."

Speaking up for the first time, Shane added, "Nothing about what Daryl found screams Carol to me. Anybody could've been held up in that farmhouse."

"That includes Carol right?" Tahlee defended Daryl`s idea. To assume that it was Carol that had been in that farmhouse was completely logical, but it seemed that Shane was doing his best to have the group abandon the search for Carol.

Daryl growled as Shane second guessed him. 'Who did this pig think he is, `m the tracker not him.' He thought as he spoke, "There was an open can that smelled fresh, opened no longer than a couple of hours."

Agreeing Rick added, "It`s a good lead."

Daryl added more directly to Rick, "I`m gonna borrow a horse and head up to the high ground around here," he explained as he indicated on the map. "Get a bird's eye view of the whole grid."

Nodding along, Rick added, "Good idea, I`ll have everyone paired up; Tahlee with Andrea, Glenn and T-dog then Shane and I."

Not liking the thought of Tahlee heading out into the field so soon, Daryl asked, "You sure she`s ready with her foot an all?" Tahlee frowned as poked him in his side.

"I`m fine, I wouldn`t go if I thought I`d put Andrea at risk. Besides, I`ve borrowed a pair of boots from Maggie and Hershel has given me the all clear."

Before he could argue, they overheard Dale spoke, "Maybe you`ll find your Chupacabra up there, too."

"Chupacabra?" Rick asked confused, glancing over to the older man for an explanation.

Dale chuckled before launching into the story, "Oh, you never heard this? Well, on our first night at the Quarry, Daryl tells us that the whole thing reminded him of his time when he went squirrel hunting and he saw a Chupacabra."

Jimmy, unfortunately for him, burst into laughter, making three people frown. Rick, Tahlee and Daryl as the latter growled, "What are you braying at, Jackass?"

The young boy stammers, "You believe in a blood sucking dog?"

"You believe in dead people walking around," Daryl snaps back, bringing up a very valid point.

Jimmy glared daggers before trying to get his hands on a gun that was laid out on the hood of the truck. "Wow, buddy what are you doing? You ever fired one before?" Shane blocks him, snatching the gun from the adolescent before he could get anywhere with it.

"Well, if I`m going out I want one," Jimmy exclaimed, appearing honestly shocked that he was not given one.

"Yeah, and people in hell want Slurpee's." Daryl added with a sneer as he prepared to leave.

* * *

WALKING-DEAD

* * *

At the well Maggie had just finished filling up spare water bottles for the group when Glenn appeared behind her. "You know, we still have 11 condoms!"

She snorted in response. "You see 11 condoms, I see 11 minutes of my life I`m never getting back."

Glenn stepped back as she stabbed him emotionally. 'That hurts,' he thought.

"It wasn`t that bad, was it?" he inquired, trying to recover some of his male pride.

She turned at the hurt sound in his voice, unable to control the guilt that ate away at her for her words. "No, of course it wasn`t. I just—look, I don`t even know if I like you like that."

Feeling a smidgen of hope, he asks, "But you're thinking about it."

She couldn't help but to smile at him. "Yeah, I`m thinking about it."

BACK AT CAMP

Tahlee spent nearly twenty minutes reassuring Sophia (who was inside with Carl) that it's safe for them to go out looking for her mother, before they disappeared into their designated section of woods with their blue strips of cloth and a hammer with a bag of nails.

"You and Daryl seem awfully close!" Andrea stated as Tahlee nailed a bit of cloth to a tree trunk.

She paused to wipe her sweaty forehead. "You seem surprised, but yeah we`re getting there."

Together they continued on walking. "I`m just surprised. The Daryl I knew back at the Quarry was a loner, violent and extremely anti-social. It`s strange to see him nice to you and Sophia," Andrea thought aloud.

Hearing an odd sound, Tahlee raise her hand to warn Andrea to stop. "Did you hear that?" she whispered.

They listened for any noise but nothing sounded as Andrea opened her mouth an audible SNAP echoed through the woods. Andrea quickly raised her gun but Tahlee touched her arm lightly to stop her. "We shouldn`t use our guns, it`ll draw more attention, use your knife."

Nodding in understand Andrea swapped her gun for her white leather handled knife and stepped forward when Tahlee stopped her again. "What?" She yelled quietly, beginning to get fed up with her constant interfering.

"I was just going to say maybe we should split up so one of us could distract the walker while the other kills it." Tahlee stepped back.

Agreeing with her plan, they separated after wishing the other 'good luck'.

Tahlee slinked off as quietly as she could and after several tense minutes she finally spotted the mangled female walker and for a split second she felt her heart break. The damage to this once woman was horrendous, her right arm was missing, she was wearing a tattered pink dress indicating she was infected very early on as no one wore outfits like that anymore. Unfortunately, the pain disappeared and the horror of what damage a walker could do to her flared as she gripped her knife.

"Hey, over here," Tahlee calls out to gets it attention as Andrea appeared behind it.

Andrea raised her knife as she stalked behind it until she was in range and she stabbed it in the back of its head. Watching as it dropped to the ground, she cleaned her black stained knife on the pink material before standing up.

"Feel better?" Tahlee asked her.

Shooting her a confused look, Andrea replied, "What`d ya mean?"

"Glenn told me about your sister, I`m so sorry for your loss." Tahlee consoled, before adding, "The best thing you can do now is to gets some training and kill some walkers, that`s how I learned."

Andrea`s face dropped at the mention of her sister. "Did you lose someone?" she asked.

They turned back towards the farm, as they`ve been walking for hours, and it was time for them to return to camp. "No, I had no one to lose."

Minutes pass before Andrea sadly replies. "I`m sorry."

Smiling at each other, they both come to the same conclusion that this could be the start of a lovely friendship as Tahlee says, "Yeah me too."

* * *

WALKING-DEAD

* * *

A few miles south of the farm-house, Daryl was in some serious trouble as he laid slumped at the bottom of a ravine with one of his own bolts protruding from his side and if the situation wasn`t worse, Merle was mocking him.

"Why don`t you pull that arrow out, dummy? You could bind your wound better."

Pain laced his voice, "That you, Merle?"

"Yeah sunshine who else do you think would be here? You taking a siesta or something?" He continued to mock, sneering down at his baby brother.

Daryl groaned as he tried sitting up. "Shitty day, bro."

"Like me to get you a pillow? Maybe rub yer feet?" Daryl glared at his brother until he notices that his brother still has both of his hands—'must be hallucinating,' he thought. "Screw you," he muttered.

Merle laughed, "Looks like you're the one screwed baby brother, all these damn years I spent trying to make you into a man and this is what I get! Look at you, lying in the dirt like a used rubber." He looked down at his bleeding brother and squatted down to his level. "You`re gonna die out here, 'lil brother. And for what?"

Despair slammed into Daryl`s already bruised body. "We lost a woman," he mumbled softly, half hoping Merle couldn`t hear him.

Instead, Merle kicked his lil brothers booted foot. "So, you're looking for some bitch but not for your own kin? Cause I noticed you ain`t looking for old Merle no more."

"Nah, man, I went back for you, but you split. Lit out first chance you got, all you had to do was wait," Daryl argued.

Growling, Merle struck Daryl`s leg again. "So, what, you blaming me? Cause I know you ain`t after what Officer Friendly did to me."

"Rick went back for you, hell even T-Dog went back for you, we did right by you." Daryl wasn`t normally this forceful against his kin, but the blurring of his mind from the knock on a tree seemed to have thrown his perceptions around.

Laughing, Merle added, "Oh I get it. Your his bitch now, his little pet at his beck an' call or is it that 'lil Spanish bitch that`s hanging all over you?"

While Daryl knew he was hallucinating, he still wasn`t going to let Merle wreck the one good thing going for him. "Oh, are you tapping that bitch, 'lil brother? You know she`s only with you for protection and to get her warm at night," Merle laughed as he hit Daryl`s soft spot. "One day real soon, 'lil brother, this girl and Officer Friendly are gonna scrap you off their shoes like you are dogshit."

Daryl shook his head, "Nah, man, it ain`t like that."

Merle yelled, "They ain`t blood, ain`t ya kin. Do me a favour when you get back to that farm and shoot you're buddy Rick in the face and take that whore of yours like the bitch she is." He paused before he added, "I`m the only one who cares about you, baby brother, now you need to wake the fuck up before I kick your teeth in."

Another nudge against his foot caused Daryl to yell, "Knock it the fuck off, Merle." Only to realise that Merle had disappeared and in his place was a walker slobbering all over his boot. Scrambling for a rock he manages to grab hold of one before he bashes it brains out. Swearing like a sailor as another walker stumbles up to him, he wrapped his fingers around the bolt shaft and ripped it out of his body with a choked scream of agony. He tried to load his beloved cross-bow even though he almost doubles over as he struggles to draw back the string. The walker is almost on top of him when he falls back to avoids its teeth and lands painfully on his back.

CLICK

He raises his loaded cross-bow and fires it, hitting the walker through its forehead and the tip of his bolt sticking out the top of its head. He sighs in relief and in agony.

"Come on, Darylina, get up and climb," Merle reappeared as Daryl got up and faced the steep ravine wall.

"I`d liked it better when you were missing," Daryl muttered.

"Hey, no need to be like that. I`m on your side," Merle added, wearing a mocking smirk that usually adorned his features.

Daryl swore under his breathe, "Yeah, since when?"

He lost track of time as he struggle to climb up the ravine and in trying to ignore his brothers words that were starting to make sense, when another voice spoke up;

"Now you shut your mouth, Merle Dixon. Daryl, don`t you believe a word he said. You are wanted and needed, I need ya, 'lil bug needs ya, our whole group needs you more than just your hunting skills." She was a vision before him as she stood on the edge of the ravine looking down at him.

"Yeah, brother, you put food on their table, a fighter against walkers and a bed warmer for this bitch," Merle said sarcastically.

Tahlee frowned down and offers him her hand, "Reach up Daryl and come home to me."

Looking directly into her eyes Daryl saw the truth, he reaches up and links their fingers together and she pulls him up.

* * *

**THE END**

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